Down the Rabbit Hole
by BubbleFairy03
Summary: After an encounter with Mad Hatter, Dick finds himself in a strange world filled with rabbits, tea, frilly dresses, and a Cheshire Cat quite unlike the one he's used to. Now he must travel across Wonderland, meeting familiar faces along the way, to find the King and Queen of Hearts, who might possibly send him home to his friends...and to Wally. KF/Rob Dick/Wally
1. To Wonderland

**I wrote this fic while listening to Your Body is a Wonderland by John Mayer about ten kaflobbidymillionjillion times. Just...letting you all know that.  
Sooooo, is anyone else not entirely on board with Invasion? Cause uh, there's a definite lack of bromance between my boys and I'm really not digging it. If things are gonna continue like this, then Tim and Conner better start bromancing things up, and Bart best be hopping on his treadmill and blasting to the past to help with aforementioned bromance, or I'm going to be one angry lady. =/ (also, I thought Artemis was hotter when she was younger...just throwing that out there...) Aaaaanywaaaay...  
**

**Big thanks to rachello344, my super awesome beta who is super and awesome and just loverly in every way!**

**Disclaimer: If Young Justice was mine, Dick would still be 13 years old and adorable...or at the very least, I would have asked Jesse to lower his voice a few pegs when doing Nightwing cause really? I'm pretty sure puberty has happened by now...So yeah. Not mine.**

* * *

"Dick? Helloooo, earth to Grayson! You in there?"

Dick blinked and took a step back, distancing himself from Babs, who had leaned in close to his face.

"What?"

She leaned back and raised an eyebrow as she continued walking, Dick falling back into stride beside her. "What were you thinking about so intently?"

Dick grimaced as a blush rose unbidden to his face. He'd been thinking about Wally, and how Artemis had walked in on them making-out. She had gotten angry, shouting something about M'gann and Conner, and how no one trusted her, before she stormed out. She went straight home, and neither he nor Wally had seen her since.

"Dick?"

He and Wally had been dating for nearly a full year, but no one knew. After a long discussion, they decided it would be best to keep things under wraps for now, to prevent any awkwardness amongst their teammates.

"Are you kidding me? Dick!"

So much for that idea. Now Artemis was pissed, and who knew what she would do? She could have told the whole team by now. And even if she didn't, there was still the fact that she had _seen_ him, lying underneath Wally, who was using his neck like a chew toy, one leg wrapped around his boyfriend's waist while he was clawed at his back, moaning like, like a...

He grimaced again as his face erupted into flame. How was he supposed to meet her eye now? That was _mortifying_...

"Dick!"

Dick started and looked up to see Babs frowning heavily down at him again.

"Sorry, Babs. It's nothing, really. I was just...thinking. Don't worry about it."

Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized his face. "Dick...you're _blushing_!" A large smirk blossomed on her face and Dick felt his face heat up even more.

"No I'm not! I'm probably just burned. You know how easily I burn." It was true. With skin as pale as porcelain, Dick Grayson burned up like a...like an overcooked waffle. Or a bunch of ants, lying helpless under a magnifying glass. Or the leaf that was under the ants, who were under the magnifying glass...

"Soooo, who is she?"

"Huh?" Dick asked, hoping he didn't get reamed out again for not listening.

Barbara's smirk widened. "I _saaiiid_, who is she?"

Dick wrinkled his nose. "Who's who?"

A roll of the eyes. "The girl you're thinking about! Do I know her?"

Without thinking about it, Dick's face naturally screwed up into an expression of distaste. "I'm _not_ thinking about a _girl_. Just forget about it, okay?"

"Thinking about a boy then?" she joked, readjusting her bag so she could elbow him gently.

Dick stepped out of reach of her jabs, his face coloring. Romantic feelings weren't really something he talked about with, well, anyone. Anyone besides Wally, of course.

"Oh my god..." she whispered, and he forced himself to keep his gaze down, "Dick...are you-"

"Shut up, Babs," he quipped, finally glancing up and nodding his head toward the crowd around them. If word got out he was gay, the press would have a field day, and Bruce wouldn't hear the end of it.

Plus there was the small fact of Bruce not knowing yet, but that was an entirely different matter...

"Sorry. But, well...are you?"

He averted his gaze again, quickly weighing his options. He could deny it, laugh at her and call it a joke. As a superhero, lying was unfortunately something he'd grown good at. Then again, if Dick Grayson had a best friend, it would, without a doubt, be Barbara Gordon. But he _wasn't_ just Dick Grayson. He was Dick _and_ Robin. And Robin's best friend was Kid Flash...who was Wally West. But Dick hardly ever got to see Wally, and Robin _never_ got to see Babs, so...where did that put everyone? Was Wally, who he barely saw, Dick's best friend, or was Babs, who he saw almost daily, Dick's best friend? Could Dick and Robin _have _different best friends?

He frowned. Did Wally have a best friend that wasn't him...?

"Dick?" She called softly, nudging his shoulder gently. "Hey, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I won't pry."

He sighed. Out of anyone (still alive) in the world, Babs was the person who knew him the best without knowing about Robin. To be fair, he didn't associate much with people who didn't also know him as Robin, but still. It counted for something. She'd earned his trust, at least with Dick Grayson secrets. Letting her in on his love life wouldn't be horrible. It might be...nice, having someone to talk to about everything. Maybe.

"Come with me," he said, grabbing her free hand and pulling her against the crowd, back toward the school. They arrived at a deserted area and he stopped, releasing her.

He turned to face her, his expression determined. "His name's Wally."

She blinked owlishly. "What?"

He pulled out his phone and started scrolling through his pictures, looking for a good one. He didn't have too many photos of Wally and him, sunglass and mask free. The few he had, though, he thought were good. They were precious to him, in any case.

He came across one of Wally kissing his cheek. He was holding the camera and, just before he snapped the photo, Wally had snuck in the kiss. He smiled at the memory.

"Oh my god, Dick, that's sooooo cute!"

He scowled at Barbara, who had (tried) to sneak up behind him, and kept flipping through the pictures. "That's not a good one. His face is too smooshed against mine to see. Here," he said, stopping at one and handing her the phone. She took it, smiling widely.

"Diiiick, you two are so cute! I can't believe you never told me, you ass! I always knew you had a soft spot for gingers. I just didn't realize it was _guy_ gingers."

Dick snorted. "Please. I love him _despite_ his gingerness." That was a lie. He'd never admit it, but he _loved_ Wally's hair. There was nothing quite like a sexy ginger guy to make you go weak at the knees...

Babs seemed to melt before his eyes. "Awww, Dicky! You _love_ him! That's soooo sweet! I can't BELIEVE you never told me! You've been falling in love behind my back all this time! So, how'd you guys meet?" she asked, handing him his phone back.

Dick put it away and looked down, trying to hide his blush. "Well, he lives in Central, but Bruce is friends with his uncle, who he pretty much lives with. Wally came with on some conference thingy, and we really hit it off, so when Bruce went to see his uncle a few weeks later, _I_ came with, and well, we just kind of, fell in love. It was really gradual."

It was. When he and Wally had first met, they didn't have much time to see each other. But he could clearly remember the fierce joy that would rush through his body whenever Batman told him they would be patrolling with the Flashes. When they came within seeing distance of each other, Wally would rush forward and envelope him in a hug. At first it had been nostalgic. He loved Bruce and Alfred, but they weren't really into hugs. His parents, on the other hand, hugged him every chance they got. And not just them, Mr. Haley, the clowns, the fire breather, the animal tamer...Haley's Circus was chock full of a bunch of affectionate people, and they all deemed him a cousin or nephew or son by association. He got hugged all the time.

But eventually, the nostalgia wore off and he was able to focus on just being hugged by Wally. The smell of him, the feel of him, the race of his heart. Everything about Wally became intoxicating.

Before he knew it, they were best friends, whispering secrets to one another while patrolling under the light of the moon. Before the team was formed, Dick would tell small white lies about after school projects and research, so he didn't have to go home right away. Wally would do the same, running to Gotham as soon as the bell rang and hurling into his best friend the moment he caught sight of him. At first they stayed in Gotham, as Dick was uneasy about lying to Bruce. But as time went on, they expanded. Wally would throw him on his back and run him to anywhere they could dream. They'd grab a late lunch in Mexico, go see a parade in China, explore ruined castles in Ireland. Wally learned that Dick could speak six languages with his voice, and Dick learned that Wally could speak 25 languages with his smile.

It was kind of ironic. During this time, they probably visited every over-the-top romantic spot the world had to offer. Yet, when they finally realized their feelings, they were in a laser tag arcade in downtown Park City. Together, they beat every opponent team thrown at them. When they thought the arcade had cleared out, they paused to high-five, and over Dick's shoulder Wally saw a seven-year-old boy running towards them, gun raised. Before Dick knew what had happened, Wally had grabbed his arms and spun him around, making himself into a human shield. The shot connected and his vest instantly started blinking red, a faint buzzing sound issuing from it.

As they were walking out, Wally had blushed, apologizing as he claimed that he acted without thinking. He said he was too used to real battles, and suggested they stopped playing, lest they hurt someone in the heat of "battle."

Dick had pretended to be mad, blaming Wally for ruining the fun. Then, laughing, he stated that, on the bright side, at least he knew now that Wally would take a bullet for him.

And Wally had smiled and said, "Duh, dude. I'd take a kajillion bullets for you."

Skeptical, Dick had stopped and, raising an eyebrow while he smirked, amused, asked why.

He had expected Wally to say because he was a hero. He expected him to strike a pose, and flaunt his selflessness and gallantry.

He didn't expect Wally to turn toward him and casually remark, "I love being a...uh, 'volunteer,'" he said, making air quotations with his fingers, "but if you died, I'd have to quit. And I don't want to do that. So I have to watch your back, always."

Dick frowned. "Why would you have to quit?" he had asked.

Wally's ears turned red and he self-consciously rubbed the back of his neck. "'Cause. There isn't much point in saving the world when the world as you know it is already gone. And you...well, you're kinda...I don't know. My world, I guess. There wouldn't be a point in saving a world you weren't a part of anymore, you know? Cause you're my best friend. My bro."

At that moment, standing in front of the rigged claw-machine at the arcade entrance, Dick understood fully what Wally meant, and realized he felt the same. So he stepped forward to hug him, but instead of wrapping his arms around Wally's back and shoulders, he somehow found himself linking them around his neck. And instead of pulling their chests together in a hug, he somehow found himself pressing his lips to the other's. And that was that.

"Speaking of your dad," Babs said, startling Dick out of his reverie. He blushed deeply, but she didn't seem to notice. "How does he feel about all this?" she asked as they slowly started walking down the deserted pathway once again, "I know he can get like, protective and junk." She grinned widely and grabbed Dick's cheek, pinching it tightly. "Not that I can bwame him wiff a key-oot wittle face wike dis! The media would just eat you up!"

"Knock it off!" Dick slapped at her hand and pulled away, bringing his hand to his face to nurse his sore cheek.

She laughed heartily and ruffled his hair, skipping out of the way when he half-heartedly swung at her. Dick huffed and she nimbly returned to his side, continuing on in silence for a moment before Dick spoke up.

"He doesn't know."

Barbara glanced down at him. "Hmm?"

"Bruce. He doesn't know. Wally's uncle doesn't either...No one does, except you."

She was quiet for a few seconds, then asked, "About you and him? Or being..." she glanced around at the few students they were approaching, "you know...in general?"

"Both."

"Oh."

They walked in silence for a while until the Wayne limousine and Alfred's figure next to it came into view. Still out of hearing range of the elderly butler, Babs nudged him gently.

"Thanks for telling me, Dick. It...means a lot."

Dick smiled and bumped her back with his shoulder. "I know it does. Gaining my trust is quite an accomplishment. You should be proud."

She groaned and pushed back with a little more force. "Ugh, you little brat, you totally ruined the moment. We were having a thing!"

"A thing?"

"A best friend thing!"

Dick's smile was content as he mulled over her words. "Yeah...I guess we did just have a thing, didn't we?"

When Babs didn't respond, he turned to look at her to find her staring at the sky above thoughtfully.

"Soooo, if you're gay (she ignored Dick's frantic 'shhh"ing sounds), does that mean...you're going to start coming clothes shopping with me and stuff! Oh, oh! We could have a slumber party!" She took a deep, gasping intake of breathe. "_I could play with your hair_..."

"_Now_ who's ruining the thing, huh? I'd sooner die than have a slumber party at your house," he frowned, "And my hair's full of gel. You wouldn't like touching it."

Babs hummed thoughtfully, ignoring the jab. "I mess up your hair all the time. I don't mind. And actually, I was thinking your place would be better. Maybe I'd get lucky and catch a glimpse of that hunky dad of yours in his pajamas...I hope he sleeps in his boxers..."

Dick's face contorted into disgust. "Eww! Babs, shut up!"

"Oh, but just think, Dick! Mrs. Barbara Wayne. Doesn't it sound distinguished? I could be your mom!"

"Shut up, shup up, shut up!" Dick yelled, covering his ears and sprinting away. Babs laughed as she chased after him, calling him motherly pet names all the way to the limousine.

* * *

When Robin woke up, he kept his eyes closed and didn't move a muscle, keeping his breathing slow and steady.

First, a check of himself.

He felt around his mouth with his tongue and, once he was certain there was no blood and all his teeth were accounted for, he swallowed. He was pleased to find the action didn't hurt, which meant his back and spine were likely in working order. He breathed in deeply through his nose, then exhaled. Naval cavity was fine. Almost without moving, he pressed each finger tip against the surface beneath him. A sharp pain shot through his shoulder, but his arms seemed to be working fine despite that, and all his fingers were there. Which was always good.

Feeling something like cold steel beneath his fingers, he made a note of the fact that he wasn't wearing his gloves and his arms were covered...meaning he was probably wearing civvies. He flexed his toes, then tensed his kneecaps. Legs and feet were fine. The material clothing them felt like denim, which strengthened the civvies notions.

Keeping perfectly still, he listened carefully. Hearing seemed fine. There was a noise in the distance...something like sparking wires. He listened closely for approximately two minutes, still as a statue, before he deemed himself alone. He opened his eyes.

No mask then. He could tell that immediately. He turned his head to the side to double-check for any occupants in the room and sat up with a start, knocking his head on the light hanging above him.

Cradling his forehead, he jumped off the metal examination table he was lying on and observed the room around him with mounting horror.

"Who did this...?" He questioned, silently crossing to the Batcomputer and fingering the edges of the shattered screen. He hissed slightly as the sharp glass cut his unprotected finger.

Looking around at the ruins of the Batcave, Robin felt his heart hammer hard in his chest. Someone was in the Batcave...and he was out of uniform. So why was he even alive...?

"And where's Batman...?" he questioned aloud, "And how did I even get here?" He went to the elevator first, but it wasn't operational and, try as he might, he wasn't quite strong enough to pry open the door. That was Wayne tech for you. Impenetrable.

He reached for his utility belt to find something to blast the doors open and was horrified when his hand connected with his bare waist. He groped at his chest and skimmed a hand over his thighs, glancing down at his body in wondrous disbelief. His belt was _not on his person_. Taking a few calming breaths, he tried to judge the situation.

First, his belt was gone. Which was soooo not asterous...but he was in the Batcave. Which was destroyed. But still, it was the Batcave. Surely there was _something_ useful left in the equipment room.

Second, he didn't know where Batman was. As of now, that was his top priority. Get out of the cave, and find Bruce.

And third, there was a gap in his memory. How did he get to the cave? Wasn't he with Babs, at school? He frowned. No, no that wasn't right. He left school. He was with the team...they had a mission...But what was the mission? And where was his team? _And where was Wally...?_

Doubling back through the trophy room, Robin made his way to the stairs and climbed to the first floor. He made a beeline for the equipment room, noticing fleetingly that the Batmobile was gone. The door was barricaded, but only loosely, and Robin managed to shift the rubble around enough that he could climb over it and enter the room.

His blood ran cold.

"No," he murmured, eyes scanning the empty room. Everything was gone. He stumbled forward, eyes and hands casting around for anything. A batarang...a grapnel...a single bat-capsule...hell, a smoke pellet would be better than nothing!

But nothing it was. The Batcave was ruined, the equipment room robbed. And at the center of it all was him, with no lines of communication and only his body as a weapon for defense.

Trying to keep a clear head, he stumbled back over the pile blocking the door and into the main room. Glancing around, he saw that Batman's suit was missing...but so was his. He narrowed his eyes in thought.

If Bruce was conscious, surely he was on the case. Maybe they had been working together...and he'd been hurt? He rolled his shoulder carefully, wincing at the hot flash of pain. It hurt, but surely it wasn't enough to knock him out...? Was he stunned? Had Bruce taken him back to the cave to recover?

He passed the zeta beam platform and wasn't entirely surprised to find it completely smashed in, leaving the portal barely recognizable for what it was.

Robin frowned, carefully picking his way past the destruction to the upper level garage. No spare Batmobiles...no R-cycle...Jogging to the main entrance, he started climbing up the broken pieces of cave wall covering the stairs to the mansion.

If he had been hurt in battle...why would Bruce take him out of his costume? Obviously he would be busy tracking down the culprit...so his outfit change would be credited to Alfred. But with so much in disarray, why would Alfred bother changing him into a shirt _and_ a jacket? Why jeans and not sweats or shorts, which were considerably easier to put on an unconscious figure? He supposed the sneakers made sense, in case he had to run in an emergency, but overall, it just didn't make sense. Why waste the time? And where was Alfred now?

He nearly made it all the way up the stairs when he came to a road block, where the entrance had caved in. With a grunt of effort, he started pulling rubble free, trying to make an opening big enough for him to crawl through.

Pulling a rather large rock free, a small rock slide ensued, making a small opening near the ceiling. He pressed himself against the cave wall, avoiding the falling boulders and coughed as the dust cleared. Once everything was settled, he gave an experimental tug on the rocks before him and, finding them decently sturdy, started his climb up.

Due to his petite size, he was able to squeeze through the opening, though, with his shoulder, it was a difficult task.

He tumbled rather ungracefully out the other side and onto the stairs. Standing, he looked up and could just make out the outline of the door in the dark. Freedom, and hopefully answers, before him, he smiled and took a step forward.

He couldn't suppress the surprised yell that issued from his lips as he stepped into nothing and his whole body plunged downward into the darkness.

* * *

"_She's Alice."_

"_She's a freak is what she is..."_

"_Wally! That's mean!"_

"_Sorry Megs, but look at her...maybe if she wasn't wearing her mask..."_

"_Appearances aside, Artemis is still in danger. We need to focus. Robin, who is this 'Alice' you mentioned?"_

"_Alice in Wonderland. It's a children's story. Alice is a young, blonde girl from the English Victorian era, who chases a rabbit down its hole and ends up in a fantasy land. The Mad Hatter is another character in the story, one that Jervis Tetch decided to adopt."_

"_Looks like he's reenacting the tea party thing," _Wally piped in, the only other person aware of the story.

"_Why would there be a tea party down a rabbit hole?" _Connor asked. Robin shook his head.

"_I'll explain later. Right now, we have to get a hold of Artemis, and quick. Mad Hatter is a lot more dangerous than he appears. Not to mention his special...interests," _Robin chimed in through the mind link, _"In the past, he's always planted his mind control devices in things like hats or walkmans...he put one in Scarecrow's mask once."_

"_So it's in her mask?"_ M'gann asked, cloaking herself then taking a hesitant step into the open, wanting to get closer to Artemis but hesitant to leave her team without a plan.

"_It's possible, but I'm guessing the device is in the ribbon. That would have been easier to plant."_

Wally made a mental noise of distaste. _"Never thought I'd live to see Arty wearing a big bow on her head...or a dress, for that matter."_

"_She's getting up!"_

They all turned their attention back to the long table in the middle of the courtyard. They were in a hedge maze in the middle of a recently shut down amusement park, which would have been great, because Mad Hatter would have had limited escape options, except the crazed, hat loving maniac was nowhere to be found. After he kidnapped Artemis, the team tracked him to the park. But now all they could see was Artemis, a blue dress and white apron thrown overtop her uniform, her hair unbound with a black ribbon tied at the top, and a startlingly empty look in her eyes.

"_We have to get that bow off her head. We have to be careful though. We all know how deadly Artemis is and right now," _Robin paused as she stepped away from the table, carefully pushing the huge, ornamental chair she'd been sitting in back, _"We're her prey."_

"_No worries. I'll just run up and snatch the stupid thing off her head before Hatter even knows what hit him."_

"_I am not so sure about that Kid Flash...It seems too...simple."_

"_We do have to be quick though. Artemis may fight back, but Mad Hatter could just as easily tell her to stop breathing...cut her own throat...anything he can think of."_

There was silence as they all let Robin's words sink in.

"_Well," _M'gann's voice sounded through their heads, her body nowhere in sight, _"maybe I could fly over and take it off? That way, I won't set off any booby-traps that may be on the ground, and Artemis won't see me...Mad Hatter either, if he's even still around."_

Robin was about to respond when he was cut off by the sound of Artemis' voice, softer than he had ever heard it and completely void of her normal brash passion. She was singing.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little bird,

"Without Batman, quite absurd,

"So enchanting, when you fly,

"Rip your wings off, watch you die..."

They all stood frozen, listening to Artemis slowly sing as she grabbed a knife and started cutting the huge cake that sat on the place mat in front of her.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little bat." She placed a harsh consonance on the end 't,' reaching forward and plucking a large triangular piece out of the cake.

"How I wonder..." She placed the piece down and reached again for the body of the cake, dipping her hand into the new opening, "...where..." She pulled a handgun, frosting smeared on the sides, out of the cake, holding it loose and carelessly. "...you're..." She tightened her grip on the weapon and slowly cast her eyes around the courtyard, eyeing the many entrances into the maze. "...at." Her eyes landed on the entrance the team was hiding behind and she smiled, lifting the gun to aim.

"_Move!" _

No one was entirely certain who had issued the command as they all bolted into the courtyard. Kid Flash sprinted forward and knocked Artemis' arm up before she had even finished pulling the trigger, sending the bullet careening upwards. Far in the distance, it embedded itself in an old Ferris Wheel with a sharp 'ping.'

He made to grab for the ribbon on her head when suddenly he found himself on his back. Lifting his head to see over his body, he saw a rather emaciated looking young girl lying underneath the large table, her hands wrapped around his ankles. On her head was a plastic band, two mouse ears attached. Wally thought of Disneyworld.

"I'm the Dormouse," she giggled feverishly, a broken smile plastered on her face, "Do you have any tea? I'm all out and...I'd really like some. Some tea. Do you have some?"

Before he could decide on whether or not to answer, Wally found himself being dragged backwards rapidly. His eyes widened as a large knife dropped from Artemis' grasp and imbedded itself into the ground, right where he'd been lying. Keeping his grip on the back of Wally's uniform, Superboy hauled the other to his feet. Wally let out a breath.

"Thanks, dude."

Conner grunted in acknowledgment as he watched Artemis pick up another knife off the table.

"_Superboy, Kid Flash, stay where you are. Robin, get the knife and gun while her attention's diverted. M'gann, as soon as Robin has the weapons, grab the ribbon. I'll restrain her."_

"_Aye, aye, Captain Kaldur,"_ Robin answered, throwing a birdarang from his place in the shadows, behind Artemis. The knife fell from her hand, landing a few feet in front of Superboy and Kid Flash. Artemis turned around to find Robin already perched on the table behind her. Without missing a beat, he grabbed her wrist and wrestled the gun from her hand. It clattered to the ground and Robin flipped off the table, kicking it away just as a hand emerged from under the table, groping for the weapon. Robin stepped on it, earning a girlish shriek from the owner.

"_M'gann!"_

"_On it!"_

Artemis issued a piercing scream as Aqualad grabbed hold of her. M'gann ripped the ribbon off her head and she immediately went limp, collapsing in Kaldur's arms.

Robin crouched down to view under the table. He was met with the tearful, smiling faces of two girls, barely as old as he was.

The one on the left had a band on her head, giving her a pair of floppy rabbit ears. She was nursing her hand. "I'm the March Hare. Are you joining our tea party? Please do."

"It'll be fun," the mouse girl stated, reaching forward toward him, "Do you have any tea? We would really like some tea. It's a tea party. You need tea."

"Oh yes, tea would be lovely. Do you like tea? I like tea. We like tea. Please join us. You're lovely. Perfect for a lovely party. Please..."

Robin did his best to smile. "I do have tea, and I'd love to join, but under the table isn't really the place for a party. Would you come out?" He offered them each a hand, not bothering to ask anyone to watch his back. KF was playing his lookout, he was sure.

The girls hesitantly took his hands and allowed him to help them up. Their gaze traveled over to Artemis, held bridal style in Aqualad's arms.

"Alice is dead."

"She looks dead."

"Hatter will find a new one."

"He always does."

Robin was still holding their hands and he raised them, pushing them together and clasping his own around them. They were freezing.

"March Hare and...Dormouse, is it?"

They both nodded.

"The Hatter, do you know where he went? I'd like to see him...to talk about the tea."

The March Hare hung her head. "He left."

"He always leaves, when there isn't an Alice," Dormouse said, turning to look at Artemis, "This Alice wasn't very good."

"So you don't have any idea where he is?"

They both shook their heads.

"_KF."_

"_On it, man."_

Robin smiled and, hardly thinking about it, brought their hands to his mouth and blew on them, desperately trying to warm them. How long had these girls been outside? It looked like they hadn't eaten in days...

He started rambling to them about the types of tea he had, keeping their attention while Kid Flash dashed behind them. Before they could even register his presence, he quickly snatched the ear bands off their heads and they collapsed, the March Hare falling into Robin's arms while Kid Flash caught the Dormouse.

"They said Mad Hatter is gone, but we'll need to search the ground anyway. Miss M, do you think you could carry both of them to the entrance? They're going to need medical attention."

M'gann, now fully visible, nodded and levitated the two girls. "I don't think I can carry Artemis as well though..."

"I will carry Artemis," Aqualad said, shifting the prone archer in his arms, "Miss Martian, could you serve as my guide out of the maze?"

"Of course!" Flying higher, M'gann headed toward the exit, eyeing the maze from above.

"The rest of you search for Mad Hatter. Miss Martian, could you keep the mental link intact, in case they should need us?"

"Uh, sure, no problem," she hesitantly replied. She giggled nervously as the girls' bodies dipped lower. "No problem, Megan, just keep concentrating," she muttered to herself, before smiling and flying over the maze, Aqualad close behind.

"New souvenirs!" Wally exclaimed, tucking the headbands under his arms. Robin rolled his eyes.

"Don't relax yet, KF. Mad Hatter could still be in the area. Let's split up."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you. I call thaddaway!" he yelled, disappearing through an entrance.

Robin sighed. "So much for being discreet. All right then, Superboy, you wanna check out the entrance on the right, and I'll take left?"

"Fine," the other grunted, trudging off across the courtyard.

Quietly, Robin crept through his own entryway, instantly melding into the shadows.

Suddenly, everything went black and an explosive 'crack' sound was echoing in his ears.

And then, with a start, he woke up.

* * *

Robin was face-down when he woke up, and the surface beneath him smelled of dirt. He groaned softly as he came to and a hot fire seared through his shoulder.

Teeth, arms, legs, torso, check, check, check, check. He didn't have time now. He needed to know where he was.

He carefully pulled himself onto all fours, pausing for a moment as his vision swam with the pain. He had fallen through the stairs...which were made of stone...and reinforced with steel. But still, he had fallen through the stairs...so he should have been on the bottom level of the cave...which didn't have a dirt floor...

He lifted his head and stared forward, watching as two trees wavered back and forth. He blinked a few times and they melded into one, solid image.

He raised an eyebrow. There weren't any trees in the Batcave either...(okay there was one, in the trophy room, but that was a little tree and that was a _totally_ different and unrelated story).

Just as he was feeling he could hazard standing, something crashed into his side, sending him sprawling once again to the ground.

Ignoring the scream of his shoulder, he immediately started struggling under the body lying on top of him.

With a sound of disgruntlement, the person climbed off him and Robin sprang to his feet. His head swam at the sudden change in alignment, but he managed to stay steady, falling automatically into a fighter's stance.

"Geez kid, what gives! You shouldn't just lie around in the road, you know! You'll trip people...people who are _late_!"

His fists dropped. "Uncle...Barry...?"

The person standing in front of him _looked_ liked Barry Allen, for sure, but...well, he also kind of...didn't.

He was dressed in red and yellow checkered pants with a matching lapel jacket, underneath of which he had a white dress shirt (the collar was popped, but only on one side), tied at the neck with a red ribbon. And sitting on top of his blond locks were two equally blond rabbit ears, which were twitching erratically.

"Uncle Barry? Sorry kiddo, but I'm not your uncle. I mean, you're not even a rabbit! You're a...a..." The speedster hopped forward and ran a quick circle around him, stopping once he was back in front of him. He placed their faces close together, so their noses were almost touching.

And then he sniffed him.

"Well, I don't know what you are!" he said, leaning back. "But I don't have time to find out, you see," he pulled a pocket-watch out of his jacket pocket and gave a small jump, then proceeded to jog in place, "I'm very late! Very, very late! Super late! So I gotta go, kiddo!

"Uh, wait, Uncle B! Where-

Barry interrupted him, looking offended. "I'm a rabbit, not a bee! And I have no time to wait! I'm late! I hope you find your uncle kid, but he's not me! Ciao!"

And with that, he dashed off toward the tree...and Robin noticed for the first time that there wasn't just one tree. There was a whole forest! Under the Batcave? That didn't make sense!

Gritting his teeth, Robin ran into the forest after the floppy-eared speedster.

"Wait, Uncle Barry! It's me, Dick! Barry! Don't you..." he stopped running, reaching a fork in the dirt path, no Flash in sight, "...recognize me?" he mumbled, kicking at the ground.

"Do you want to know which way he went?"

Robin started, falling back into his defensive fighter's stance and looking rapidly around the forest. His eyes landed on a white, grinning face in the trees.

"Cheshire," he growled, tensing. He'd recognize that mask anywhere. Was _she_ the one who infiltrated the cave? That wasn't possible...

The person swung down a few branches so they were on a closer level. "No, not Cheshire. You could call me that if you'd like though, I guess. If you found it convenient." The person sprawled out on a branch, letting a leg dangle toward the ground. "And what about you? Have a name you care to share? Sharing _is_ caring, after all. And I'm sure we have plenty to care about...or share about, you and I. Don't you agree?"

Robin kept his defenses up, watching the figure cautiously as it twisted sensually around the branch. It _wasn't_ Cheshire, that was for sure, at least not the Cheshire he knew. The voice was off, for one thing. And this person was shorter and flat-chested, and while the mask was the same, the hair was much shorter and had less volume to it. He honestly couldn't even be sure of the gender.

Knowing he was without a mask, he weighed his options, then finally confessed, "My name is Dick. I was chasing after my friend's uncle...did you see which way he went? He's blond and was wearing red and yellow."

Cheshire tilted its head. "The Blond Rabbit, you mean? I saw him. I saw his nephew too, once upon a time. He went that way," the feline-like person said, pointing left.

Dick lowered his hands, hesitantly. "Thank you," he nodded, starting toward the left. He paused as a voice called out, "Of course, that was several years ago...and you're not looking for the nephew anyway. You want the uncle."

Dick turned on his heels, stalking back to the midpoint. "Of course I meant the uncle! Why would I care which way his nephew went years ago!" he yelled, aggravated.

Cheshire dropped from the branch, letting its body dangle in the air. Quickly, Dick scanned the contours of its muscles and decided the other was a male. An aggravating male.

"Oh? So, you don't care for the nephew then? That's a shame. Or maybe not." He swung his legs up and wrapped them around a branch to his right, carefully climbing onto it and once more lying down, this time on his back.

Dick blushed. "That's not...I didn't mean...It's not important! Just...tell me which way Bar-I mean, the Blond Rabbit went."

"Well, he went right, of course."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Dick started toward the right. "Thank you," he said, trying hard not to grit his teeth. He only made it a few steps when the voice called out again,

"Of course, it's difficult to say _which_ right. I mean, there's my right...and there's your right. Which are two totally different rights. My right is your left, your left is my right. Both are right...but both are left. So did he go right? Or left?"

Dick whirled around, eyes aflame. "Just tell me which way!"

"Why, I already told you. Right."

Dick took a long, deep breathe. "My right? Or your right?"

"That's a bit of a hard distinction to make, isn't it? I think my right is right, and you think your right is right, so which is right? Surely we can't judge. A judge? Yes, a judge surely could. Judges know right from wrong and wrong from left. Right?" The boy stretched languidly and, hooking his knees around the branch, let his body fall so that he was hanging upside down, turning the eerie grin of his mask into a deep frown. "Perhaps he went both ways, hmm?"

"That's impossible," Dick growled, fists clenched.

"Not if both paths lead to the same destination."

Dick took another deep breathe, trying to ease the tension out of his throbbing shoulder. "Do they?"

He received an upside down shrug. "Who knows? Who cares?"

"I care," he ground out, concentrating on his breathing.

Cheshire dropped, doing a somersault in the air before landing on his feet. He turned to face Dick. "And why's that? What will you do with Uncle Blond Rabbit?"

"I..." he frowned, thinking about it. What would he do? He cast a hasty glance at the unfamiliar terrain around him. "I'd ask him where I was...and how to get home. There are people I need to go to. I can't waste time here."

He tensed as Cheshire strode toward him, his movements slow and graceful, like a feline. He scowled, thinking of Catwoman.

"Well those are silly questions. For where you are...you're here, of course. You came from there...and you're heading for there, though it's a different there. There, do you understand? Rabbits won't help you there. Or here. Why not see the King and Queen? They help a bit here, they help a bit there. Surely they'd help a here-there like yourself. Maybe. They have information, in any case. They're your best bet."

Dick sighed, not quite sure why he was bothering to ask, but asking anyway, "And where exactly can I find this 'King and Queen'?"

Cheshire stopped just out of arm's reach of Dick. "Why, they're there, of course. Were you not listening?"

Biting down his rage, Dick turned around and continued walking down the right path. "Whatever. I'm leaving."

"Dick, one thing, before you leave?"

Dick looked over his shoulder with a scowl. "What?"

Cheshire stared for a few seconds before lacing his hands behind him and rocking on his heels. "Just wanted to say, 'Welcome to Wonderland'."

* * *

**And there's chapter 1! Yay! I'm hoping to upload this story at a quick pace, as I'll be going to live in England for a month at the end of June and, while I'll have internet access, I'd still rather wrap things up before I left. But we shall see! =)  
Is anyone going to Comic-Con in Philly this weekend? I'll be there Saturday, sadly out of costume. But if anyone will be there, let me know and I'll uh, idk...describe my normal clothes for you in the hopes that you'll spot me and come say hello, haha.**


	2. Tea and Biscuits

**Howdy all! So sorry for the delay! (and after I promised a quick update too...)  
Comic-con was amazing, for those wondering, and Chris Hemsworth was a treat to see. There was also a million Zatannas walking around and one absolutely fantastic Artemis, whose fantasticness would have made my day is Chris hadn't already done that, haha.  
Anyway! Big thanks to **** rachello344** for her lovely beta work. Everyone here should love her. =)  
Without further ado!  
Disclaimer: If I owned Young Justice, I'd be showering comcast with my wrath because, honestly, I've missed like, the past 4-5 episodes because they stopped updating ondemand. =/

* * *

It felt like he'd been walking for hours.

Perhaps wandering off into a forest with no guidance wasn't the best idea...but what else was he supposed to do? At least there was a path...

Dick eyed the strange flora around him, trying his hardest to identify _something_. This forest was hands down the strangest place he'd ever been...

He frowned, ignoring the scenery in favor of looking ahead. _How_ he came to be in the forest was what he should be focusing on. He bit his bottom lip as he silently went through the information he had so far.

To start off, he had been with Babs at school. Things were fine. Alfred took him home...it was Friday, so instead of doing his homework right away, he took the zeta beam straight to the mountain, to see Wally...and everyone else...but mostly Wally.

Everyone else...everyone else was there...except Artemis!

His cheeks grew slightly warm as he recalled why Artemis was missing. Artemis caught him and Wally making-out, and stormed off. Did she tell anyone...?

He raked his memory. No. No, no one said anything. No one showed signs of hiding anything. So Artemis didn't talk to them. But she was missing...and then...then they got a mission from Batman. A few days ago, Jervis Tetch had gotten loose. A day after that, a young girl had disappeared from her home in the northern section of Gotham. The day after that, another young girl had gone missing from her school, Gotham East Junior High.

He thought back to his dream, frowning. The day after that, Artemis had gone missing, then. And that day was...

He looked up, glaring at the shining sun hanging happily in the sky.

It was yesterday, because his dream-memory had been at night. So he had spent half the night chasing after Artemis and Mad Hatter, and the other half lying in the Batcave, unconscious. When morning came, he was in...Wonderland.

He eyed his surroundings warily, expecting a threat to appear at any moment. He wasn't stupid. He was tailing the Mad Hatter and, while he couldn't remember exactly _what_ had happened to him, he was now suddenly in a place called Wonderland where Barry was a rabbit and Cheshire cats roamed around talking like the Riddler. This was clearly a world of Jervis' design...but what was it? A holo-simulator? Advanced hallucinogenic drugs? If either of those were the case, then that begged the question, where was his actual body?

Then again, if this was a simulation or all in his mind, why did his shoulder hurt...? Why did his shoulder hurt in the first place anyway?

For the third time since leaving Cheshire, he pulled down his shirt collar to inspect his wound.

It was hard to examine it, because it was bandaged so well. Rolling his shoulder, he could feel the pull of stitches, but a slightly bloody bandage covered the scar. He was hesitant to remove it, lest the stitches rip. He'd have no way of patching himself back up.

The stitches raised more questions though. Track down brainwashed Artemis, get...stabbed...shot maybe? Probably shot. Shot by Mad Hatter, and thrown into kooktown. He could accept that. But...why would Jervis patch up his wound? That made no sense whatsoever.

And furthermore, how was Barry here? The Flash was one thing, but Jervis couldn't know what he looked like under the mask, and this Flash was clearly maskless.

Then there was the matter of his own face. If he was part of some experiment of Jervis', had the other unmasked him? He was clearly unmasked now...

He stopped for a brief moment, studying the ground, then, with a frustrated yell, slammed his fist into a tree. This didn't make any sense! Was the Batcave really destroyed! Impossible! Jervis..._Jervis_, of all villains, could _not_ have discovered his identity...or Barry's...or Bruce's, for that matter. It just wasn't a possibility! And what about his team? He wasn't totally alone...they would have come running had he been shot.

He let his hand slid away from the bark and leaned his good shoulder against the tree instead, letting it hold his weight. Where exactly was his team, anyway? Were they trapped in Wonderland too? Were they hurt?

With a heavy sigh he stood up straight and continued down the seemingly endless path. First thing first, he had to find this King and Queen, and see if he could get out of this place. Trusting Cheshire may not have been his best bet, but it was the only option available to him at the moment.

He stopped suddenly, seeing a flash of light up ahead. He squinted. Something shiny was lying on the path...

Jogging forward, he reached the item, frowning curiously. It was a doorknob. And attached to it was a door. Lying in the road.

Bending over, he carefully turned the handle and pulled the door open. The door only opened part of the way, but, as he hesitantly removed his hands, he was surprised to find it could stay open by itself, despite sitting straight up.

Dick squatted down and peered inside the doorway. Instead of the darkness of the underground he expected, he was met with his own reflection, staring back at him from a pool of reddish-brown liquid. Cautiously, he leaned forward and sniffed the liquid, then sat back up.

"Tea?" he questioned quietly, brows furrowed in confusion. Wary, he poked the surface of the liquid, watching as his reflection distorted amongst the new ripples. Feeling slightly better, he dipped both hands into the pool, intending to scoop the liquid out. However, before he could lift them back out something gripped his wrists and pulled.

Dick pulled back, gritting his teeth when his shoulder reminded him it was hurt. Whatever had him pulled again with more force and, mouth open in a surprised gasp, Dick found himself toppling head first into the doorway, tea rushing into his mouth and nostrils.

He kicked his legs frantically, his body automatically panicking as it was deprived of oxygen. But the thing (he still couldn't see it, through the murky tea) had his hands in a vice-grip and was pulling him through the liquid at an unbelievable speed.

He closed his eyes tightly, trying to protect them from the sting of the liquid, when suddenly cold air hit his face. He gasped loudly for breathe and, finding his hands free, quickly rubbed the tea away from his eyes and opened them, frantically turning to scan his surroundings and find his abductor.

He blinked owlishly at the scenery before him. He was...inside a teacup. A _big_ teacup...but a teacup nonetheless. Seeing no attacker in sight, he waded to the cup's edge and pulled himself out, splashing tea onto the saucer and the tablecloth beneath him.

His eyes narrowed at the thin, embroidered fabric. "A tablecloth? I can't possibly..."

He dead panned as he finally took in all of his surroundings. He was indeed on a table, a circular, white one. In addition to his teacup, there was also a plate of shortbread cookies and a large glass bottle on the table. On the cookies was a card that read, "Eat Me," while the bottle had a tag attached to the cap which clearly read, "Drink Me."

Groaning, he walked to the table's edge and jumped down onto the cushioned chair beneath it. From there, he shimmied his way down the chair leg and dropped to the floor, which was checkered white and pink.

He looked back up at the table, glaring at it. "I fell _down_. How on earth did I end up on _top_ of a table...inside a teacup...?"

"Please Miss Mouse, reconsider. He is clearly not in his right mind..." A voice said from behind him.

"My son is right! He's covered in tea! How absurd." Another voice remarked, as Dick turned around. His face immediately broke into a large grin.

"Do I look like I care? Geez, for lobsters, you guys sure are wimps. Where's that tough shell! It's just a kid in some tea!"

"Artemis!" Dick yelled, running forward and taking her hands in his. "Aquaman, Aqualad! I'm so glad to see you all! Did Hatter send you all to Wonderland too?"

Artemis carefully extracted her hands from his, and for the first time, Dick let himself take in her appearance. She was wearing black shoes paired with large gray socks scrunched around her ankles. She had on an oversized gray hoodie that fell to her kneecaps, and could barely stay on her shoulders. And on her head...were two gray mouse ears.

"Uhh...okay guys, maybe you were right. He's a little strange...My name isn't 'Artemis,' kid, it's Mouse. Miss Mouse to you, twerp," she said, narrowing her eyes. "And this," she said, gesturing toward Kaldur and Arthur, "Is Mr. Lobster, and his son, Lobster Jr."

"Ahem!" Arthur stepped forward, frowning deeply. "_Actually_, it's Mr. Crab and Crab Jr. _Please_ stop forgetting, Miss Mouse. It's very aggravating."

Dick stared at the pair, too absorbed in their appearance to even bother with the tea dripping from his bangs onto his nose. Both Atlanteans had bright red, what he assumed were crab, shells strapped to their backs and were wearing what looked like red bathing caps. Aquaman had a crab claw in place of his left hand, while Aqualad had one in place of his right.

"Mr. Crab...?" he asked quietly, feeling his previous joy drain out of him.

Hands on her hips, Artemis leaned forward to stare intently at Dick, her nose nearly touching his. Dick leaned back.

"And who might you be? Care to explain what you're doing, dripping tea all over the place? Hmmmm?"

"Uhh, well, I'm Dick..." He wasn't wearing his mask...maybe they didn't recognize him? Were they playing along for their safety? Leaning forward so that his nose actually did touch Artemis', he locked eyes with her and whispered, "Artemis, it's _me_. Robin."

She leaned back quickly, rubbing her nose. "Robin? Well, what is it then? Robin, or Dick? You don't _look_ like a Robin...where are your feathers?"

"What...?"

"Miss Mouse," Kaldur chimed in, "Perhaps we should leave this gentleman alone and be on our way? He's really not bothering anyone..."

She turned toward him, glaring heatedly. "Oh yeah? Well... I don't care! I want to know what he's doing here! So!" She turned back toward him and shoved a finger roughly at his chest. "What are you doing here, Dick or Robin or whoever you are!"

Dick took a step back, disappointment crawling through him. So it was like Barry, all over again. Did no one know him here?

"You can call me Dick," he said quietly as he took off his jacket and began ringing the tea out of it, "And I'm...I'm looking for the King and Queen. Or the Blond Rabbit. Would you know how to find either of them?"

Aquaman raised an eyebrow. "The King and Queen? What business do you have with them?"

"Excuse me," Dick apologized, pulling off his shirt to ring that out as well, "I was told they might be able to help me get home. I'm...not from around here, you see."

Artemis looked at him curiously. "Not from around here...?" she stared at him thoughtfully, "Hey, um, on your way here from...wherever...you didn't happen to run into another mouse...did you? Like me, but with black hair and ears...? Lighter skin?"

Dick shook his head. "No, you're the first uh...mouse I've seen, I'm afraid. Who is she? If I see her on my way-"

"No, don't worry about it. She's just a friend and," she cast her eyes to the floor, "by now, it's probably too late anyway...she's probably..." She started, remembering herself, and scowled at Dick. "It's none of your concern! Stop prying!"

Dick smiled slightly. That was Artemis for you. "Sorry. Didn't mean to."

She huffed and, crossing her arms, turned away from him. Arthur stepped forward.

"Listen, Dick, I don't know if we can help you with finding the castle, that's not really our territory, you see. But as for the Blond Rabbit..."

"He just came through here recently, actually," Kaldur said, "He went through there." He pointed and Dick followed his gaze to the wall of the room. He squinted.

"Is that...a door?"

Casting him a side-ways glance, Artemis nodded curtly. "Of course it's a door. What else would it be?"

Striding over to it, Dick got on his hands and knees and inspected the tiny wooden door. It was like a mouse hole (a real mouse, not a...mouse person thing, like Artemis). Except it was a door. A mouse door.

He stood up. "There's no way I could fit in that...which reminds me, there's no way Barr-I mean, the Blond Rabbit, could fit in there either!"

Aquaman laughed heartily. "You really are a foreigner, huh? Things like this are a cinch here in Wonderland!"

Aqualad nodded his agreement. "My father is right. The answer to your dilemma lies at the top of that table," he said, pointing up, "There should be something up there that will help you shrink down to size so you can fit."

With an annoyed sigh, Dick pulled his damp shirt and jacket back on and walked back to the chair. Wrapping his legs around the leg, he carefully began his ascent. Once he reached the chair's cushion he took hold of the tablecloth and, giving an experimental tug to ensure it would support him, started climbing up it as well. Clambering onto the tabletop, he looked around once again.

His eyes fell on the bottle first and he frowned. "That's too tall...I'd never get the cap off at this size..." He glanced the plate of cookies out of the corner of his eye and turned to them instead.

Walking over, he picked one up. It was almost as big as he was. "'Eat Me,' huh?" Going against his every instinct, he bit into the baked treat, barely making a dent in it.

He swallowed and waited, putting the cookie back down. "Huh. I _feel_ fine. Maybe I need to eat a little mor-aaaaAAAAHHHHH!"

He screamed loudly as an electric pain shot through his body. He was vaguely aware that he could feel his stitches popping out, but he was too preoccupied by the rest of the pain in his body to properly care. The crown of his head smacked against something above him and then, slowly, the pain started to subside. Trying to calm his breathing, he opened his eyes, his vision swimming slightly. He blinked and everything came into focus...and then he blinked again, not believing his eyes. Everything was...

...small.

He looked up to see what he had hit his head on and found himself facing the ceiling. He looked down at himself and grimaced. His clothes, though they seemed to grow with him to a certain extent, were ripped at most of the seams. He pulled his sleeves off.

"Guess it's a vest now..." he muttered, putting the sleeves down on the table he was sitting on. He started to take the "vest" off but frowned when he noticed the blossom of red staining his shoulder.

"Shit!" he yelled, ripping the remains of his jacket off and pulling off his shirt. He winced as a sharp pain shot through his shoulder and, once he was free of his shirt, he examined it. The bandage was gone, it had probably fallen off while he was growing, and his stitches had all popped out. Blood gushed from the wound, huge droplets falling to the ground with a resounding splash. He looked down.

"Art-uh-Miss Mouse? Crab guys? Are you all right?" He scanned the ground, eventually finding them as they clambered up the chair leg.

"Are you trying to drown us! You jerk!" Artemis' squeaking voice said as she clung to the back of the chair. Dick placed a hand over his shoulder, trying to stop the gushing blood, but it was to no avail. Blood poured everywhere, very slowly covering the entire floor.

"I'm sorry! I just did what you said though!" No sooner were the words out of his mouth did the table break under his weight, hitting the blood with a large splash and sending a wave of it up toward the chair. The three inhabitants yelled as they were doused with the offensive substance.

Aquaman's squeaky voice floated up toward him, complaining about blood stains on his newly polished shell.

Quickly realizing he was too large to stand up in the room, Dick remained sitting on the table, which had sunk to the floor under his weight. The blood on the floor covered his feet and butt, and both of his hands were covered in it. He grimaced.

"What do I do? How do I shrink again?"

Artemis took off a blood soaked shoe and threw it at him. He didn't feel it as it bounced against his kneecap. "Take something else, retard! And do it quick, before the whole room fills up!"

"Something else..." he muttered, scanning the room. His eyes landed on the 'Drink Me' bottle, which was floating toward an armchair. Getting on his hands and knees, Dick crawled over to it, blood freely flowing from his shoulder like a waterfall. Grabbing it, he sat back down, causing large waves in the pool of blood, then pried the cap off the bottle.

He hesitated before drinking it. "What if it makes me even bigger?"

"Please have faith, my friend. Drink it," Kaldur said, his tiny voice barely audible to Dick.

Nodding, he chugged the bottle then hiccupped loudly. The pain was severely diminished this time as his body shrunk into itself. In just a second, he found himself tinier than ever, his body suspended for a millisecond where his chest had just been before falling toward the ground.

He took a deep breathe right before he plunged into the ocean of blood below. It was thicker than water, which made swimming difficult, but he managed to breach the surface. He treaded, scanning around for something to grab hold of as he struggled between gasping for air to get his breathe back and not breathing at all, to keep the sick, coppery smell out of his nostrils.

"Dick! Dick, where are you!"

A wave came crashing toward him, sending him back under the blood. He came up again, coughing. "I'm here!" he managed out, blindly groping for something to hold onto.

"Hold on, I'll find you!"

There was a splash in the distance, but Dick couldn't worry about it as another wave sent him spiraling into the air and back under.

"Dick!"

He found his body being scooped up out of the ocean of blood surrounding him. Suddenly there was a surface beneath him and he took the moment to catch his breath. He was drenched from head to toe, and his mouth held a metallic, copper taste.

"Dick...are you all right?"

He lifted his head and his mouth immediately dropped.

In front of him, Kaldur was treading in the blood, using only his claw to keep afloat. His human hand was busy holding Dick, who was kneeling in his palm.

"You're...Kaldur, you're huge..."

The Atlantean raised an eyebrow. "Kaldur? Is that some sort of term of endearment?" the other asked, as he deposited Dick on top of his head.

"Uhh...yeah. Where I come from, it's a term for a male friend," he pursed his lips, thinking on his feet, "Artemis is the counterpart term, for a female friend. They're polite terms."

"Ah! I understand now! So we just had a translation issue before."

"Yup. Sorry about that."

"No apologies needed, my Kaldur."

Dick had to bite back a laugh. He held tightly onto the other's hair as Aqualad started swimming toward the far wall. He stopped once he reached it.

"Well, my Kaldur, it appears this is where we part. Be careful once you get through the door, okay?"

"I will. Thanks, Kaldur," Dick said, holding on tightly and taking a deep breath just as Aqualad dove under the blood. He swam down to the door and, pulling the tiny handle, opened it. Blood immediately started gushing through the opening and, caught in the sudden current, Dick was swept along the moment he let go of Kaldur's hair.

His body somersaulted in the current a few times before he tumbled out of the door, the blood washing him onto a sandy terrain. He coughed a few times before standing up and slicking his hair back, sending droplets of blood spattering behind him. His bloody sneakers squished in the sand as he trudged forward, looking for any sign of...well, _anything_, in the vast desert.

He traveled alone, roasting under the sun, high overhead, for what felt like forever before a vague shape finally materialized in the distance. As he drew closer, the something eventually solidified into the shape of a shabby hut.

Dick approached it cautiously. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

"Comiiiing!" A perky voice sang out. Moments later, the door swung open and Barbara Gordon appeared, smiling widely. "Howdy-doo, stranger! What can I-eww! What happened to you?"

He doubted she'd remember, but there was no harm in trying. "Babs?"

She raised an eyebrow, fully emerging from the hut. "Babs? Sorry pal, you got the wrong person. I'm the Mock Turtle! Pleased to meet'cha!" Fully emerged from the hut, Dick could clearly see the green turtle shell covering her back. He sighed.

"Sorry. I'm Dick, pleased to meet you too."

She stepped forward to examine him, crinkling her nose in distaste. "You're a mess, Dick. How about you take those off? I'll wash them for you! I'm sure I have something for you to wear in the meantime. What do you say?"

Pulling slightly at his red, sticky jeans, he grimaced, nodding sheepishly. "That would be great, thanks."

"Mm-hmm. Don't mention it. Just follow me. Don't freak if you drip. I don't clean my floor anyway."

Dick hesitated before entering. "Uh...okay."

She led him to her bathroom and gave him a small turtle shell. "I hope this kind of stuff doesn't freak you out. I haven't worn this one since I was very small. I just use it as a hamper now."

Dick grinned at her. "Uh, no, not at all. I don't mind."

She beamed at him. "Great! Just put your clothes in there. You can wash up in the shower if you'd like. Leave the shell outside the door and I'll take it outside to wash. I'm going to go hunt for a set of clothes for you, okay?"

Taking the shell, Dick smiled softly at her. Even in this horror world, Babs was still Babs. Always putting him first.

"Thanks, Mock Turtle. I really appreciate it."

She waved his thanks away with one hand before walking away, disappearing into another room.

Closing the door to the incredibly cramped bathroom, Dick stripped down, placing his blood-soaked clothes (well, what remained of them...) in the shell. When he was done, he cracked open the door and, once he was sure she wasn't in the room, placed it on the ground. Closing the door again, he stepped into the shower, relieved to finally wash the blood from his hair and skin.

While rinsing his hair, he heard the door creak. "Dicky? Can I come it?"

"Yeah, I'm in the shower," he replied, listening as the door creaked some more and then watching Babs' silhouette appear behind the shower curtain.

"I brought you some clothes! I'll just place them by the sink. Sorry if they're a little girly, but well, girl stuff is all I have, and this was the only thing that looked small enough to fit you...no offense."

"None taken." Babs had always been taller than him. "That reminds me, I'm kind of surprised we're proportionate to each other. I just drank some stuff that made me really small, so I could get through this door..."

"Hmm, I don't know what you're talking about," she said cheerily, "I'll be outside when you're done. I need to go fetch some water from the well so I can wash your clothes." Before he could question, she explained, "The water in the house can only do one thing at a time, so the sinks don't work when someone is showering, and vice-versa."

"Oh...sorry. If you want, I could clean them though. I mean, they _are _covered in my blood and all...that's kind of nasty. Just leave them out and I'll get water from the sink once I'm done in here." Speaking of blood. He cupped some water in his hands and very gently ran it over his wound, washing it out. With all the blood he'd lost before, it was a wonder he was standing, let alone seeing straight. "Do you have a first aid-kit, by the way?"

"Sure do! Are you hurt? Give me a sec and I'll go find it, and put it by the sink with your clothes. And don't you worry about your old clothes, I don't mind at all. A little blood never hurt anyone. Just come outside when you're all cleaned up."

Dick decided not to argue about blood not hurting anyone. "Okay...Thanks Baaa-uuuhmm, Mock Turtle."

There was a giggle. "You're funny, Dick. See you outside." And the door creaked shut.

After Babs had come and gone with the kit, and he deemed himself decently clean, Dick stepped out of the shower. Not bothering with the clothes yet, he wrapped his towel around his waist and picked up the first-aid kit. After digging around a bit, he was immensely pleased (and _extremely_ surprised) to find a surgeon's needle and a tiny spool of medical thread.

Taking a small bottle of alcohol and a cotton swab, he cleaned the needle first, then, grabbing a new swab, gingerly cleaned his wound. Gritting his teeth, he carefully began re-stitching himself. There weren't many occasions when he had to patch himself up like this, Alfred or Bruce were always around for that, but Bruce had made sure he could do it, if the situation called for it. Like now.

He could tell for certain now that it was a gun would. A stab wound would have been larger and shaped differently. With the shape and dimensions of the wound, a bullet was the only likely culprit. Once he was done, he calmly cut the string and put the supplies away. Searching through the kit, he found some gauze and medical tape and made a patch over it, for extra protection, before packing up the kit and placing it aside.

Removing the towel, he ran it over his hair one more time before casting it aside and reaching for the clothes Babs had left for him.

His hand hesitated before picking up the first article. There was _lace_ _on it_.

Suspicious, he picked it up and held it up for inspection. The blood drained from his face.

He was holding a light blue _dress_. Throwing it aside as if it had burned him, he picked up the second article on the counter. A silky thigh high stocking unraveled before him. He dropped it.

There were three more things on the counter. The one he could tell was the second stocking (he knocked it to the ground), while the other two were dreadful mysteries. They were both white, made of cotton material. He picked the top piece up with two fingers, holding it out at a distance.

Bloomers. Big, puffy, white bloomers. He dropped those as well and picked up the second piece.

As he grabbed it, a small black ribbon fell out of it, floating to the ground with the other pieces. He ignored it and held the larger white article up for inspection.

It was an apron...a _frilly_ apron. The bottom was ruffled, and there were two pockets, both lined with more ruffles. The bib of it didn't have any ruffles, but the sleeves were nothing _but_ ruffles. Just three giant ruffles layered on top of each other. He placed it back on the counter and walked to the door, sticking his head out.

"Babs!" He made a small sound of irritation. "Mock Turtle!"

There was no response. She was outside then.

With a sigh, he closed the door again, trying to decide a course of action.

With a grumble, he pulled on the bloomers and slipped the dress over his head. He was slightly mortified to realize the fullness of the bloomers gave the skirt of the dress a bouffant, bouncy appearance. The front of the dress had black buttons on it, which stopped just below the collar, which was high, but was very loose. The sleeves cinched around his biceps, making them slightly rounded and puffy. Lovely.

Gathering the rest of the clothing in his arms, he stepped out of the bathroom and headed toward the door.

"Mock Turtle!" he called, glancing around.

"Right here!" A voice called, shortly followed by Babs figure as she rounded the hut, carrying a large bucket. There was a potato basin on the ground, next to which his clothes and shoes lay on the sand. She dumped the water in the bucket into the basin.

"Aww, Dick! You look so cute! You're not wearing it all though. Is something wrong?"

"Babs...Mock Turtle. This outfit isn't really...appropriate for me. Don't you have anything else I could wear?" His cheeks were burning. He tried to tell himself that is wasn't so bad, because only Babs was there to witness his humiliation, but somehow the fact that _Babs_ was the one person seeing him like this just made him feel worse.

"Sorry Dicky, but that's all I have. There's no way any of my pants would fit you." She patted her hips, as if to make her point. "These hips don't lie, after all. Besides," she said, winking at him, "you look totally adorable. The color brings out your eyes," she added, giggling behind her hand.

Dick frowned. Babs was _definitely _still Babs. Putting him first. Hah. What a joke.

He was about to respond when suddenly a tan colored shark jumped out of the ground and ate his clothes. Sailing through the air, it soared over the basin and Babs before smacking into the ground and disappearing into the sand.

Dick dropped the clothes in his arms.

"Oh no! No! You give those back, you brute!" Babs yelled, kicking at the sand. Nothing happened.

Dick opened his mouth, then promptly closed it again, trying to think of something to say while the frontal lobe of his brain melted.

Babs turned to look at him. "Dick. Dick, I'm sooooo sorry. I usually don't get sand sharks around here...I guess it smelled the blood on your clothes. I should have kept them inside until the basin was full. I'm so so sooo sorry about this."

"I..." he cleared his throat, his mouth suddenly too dry to speak, "that was...I mean...a sand shark?"

Hanging her head, Babs nodded minutely, kicking at the ground. "Yeah," she mumbled, pouting, "Stupid sand sharks. They're a big pest problem in some areas. They can be pretty dangerous..."

"Oh. Right, yeah. Of course." Sand sharks. That would be a big problem, wouldn't it? Obviously.

Babs tried to smile at him, but it came out more like a grimace. "Well, in any case, you're free to have my clothes. That outfit doesn't fit me anymore anyway..."

Dick stared at her, unsure of how to respond.

Brightening up a little, she skipped over to him. "Here, I'll see if I have any shoes that will fit you! I'm sure there's something! Trust me," she laughed, "going barefoot in Wonderland is a big no-no! Who knows what's lying around!" She scooped the clothes he dropped off the ground and, shaking the sand from them quickly, headed back toward the hut. "Come on. I'll help you put all this stuff on too. Don't worry, you'll look great! Things aren't so bad!"

Numbly, he followed after her, staring at the sand. A gentle breeze blew, making the dress ruffle around his knees. He glared at it. Maybe if he ripped out his stitches and bled on the ground, a sand shark would come eat him up too. That didn't sound like such a bad fate at the moment...

Dick found a beanbag (the only seating arrangement that seemed to be in the house) and sat down on it, waiting while Babs disappeared into what he presumed was her bedroom.

"What's your shoe size!" she called from within.

"8...in men's," he answered, frowning. He wasn't sure he wanted Barbara's shoes...

"How about in women's!"

"How should I know!" he called back, sinking into the beanbag as he sulked. Stupid Babs with her stupid lady shoes...

She emerged from the room carrying a pair of black mary-janes. "These might be too small, but might as well give them a shot. They don't have a heel!" she said cheerfully, as if she were proud of herself for granting him the favor of no heels. Dick stared at her.

"I'm not sure...those would work for me..."

She rolled her eyes. "Well duh, not like that. You'd get blisters! You need to put the socks on first!" From the pile of clothes, she found the two stockings and, kneeling down, grabbed Dick's right foot.

Dick pulled back, pressing himself into the beanbag. "Hey! Cut it out!"

Pouting, Babs grabbed his foot again, trying to pry it away from the bag. "You cut it out! I'm trying to help!"

"I don't want to wear them! Don't you have normal socks!"

"These...match!" she cried, finally prying his foot up. "Hold still, or I'll tickle you!" she threatened, picking the stocking back up and placing it on his foot.

Dick grumbled, his face aflame as Babs slid the silky material over his foot and up to his thigh. Like the apron, there was lace at the top of these too.

Once she was done, she slid the shoes onto his feet, emitting a squeal of happiness when they fit.

"Stand up and walk around! Make sure they're comfortable enough to walk in," she ordered, standing up.

With a huff, Dick stood and walked a straight line across the room, his entire face burning with humiliation. To add to his humiliation, a small part of him realized these were possibly the most comfortable shoes he'd ever worn. He tried to ignore that part.

"They're fine..." he mumbled, walking back toward her. She clapped her hands.

"Perfect! Now, just stand still..." Reaching back into the pile, she pulled out the black ribbon and fastened it around his neck, pulling the collar closed.

"Mock Turtle, is this really necessary? I mean, I'm already wearing the dress and the socks and the shoes..."

"Totally necessary," she said, picking up the apron. "Arms up." Grudgingly, he obliged and she slipped his arms through the sleeves, then circled around him to tie the back into a big, neat bow. Once finished, she flitted back in front of him to look him up and down.

"Not bad, Grayson, not bad! You're looking good!"

He signed heavily. "Sure...thanks. I...appreciate the...help." If you could even call it that.

She smiled gently. "Don't mention it. So, where are you headed anyway?"

Pulling at the ribbon at his neck, gently trying to loosen it, Dick answered, "I'm trying to find the King and Queen. Or the Blond Rabbit. Any chance you could point me in the right direction?"

She frowned in thought. "Hmm, not really. I mean, I know you shouldn't go that way," she pointed west, "cause that way just leads to endless desert. You'd die of thirst before you found anything, even if you brought all the water you could carry. If you go that way," she pointed east, "you'll run into a forest, eventually. I've never actually been in it though, so I don't know where it goes. That might be your best bet though. That way," she pointed north, "is just desert too, and the other direction is where you came from..."

Dick nodded. "Right. Thanks. That helps a lot, actually."

Babs smiled widely. "Don't mention it! And I don't know if this will help, but someone told me once that the Blond Rabbit works for the King, Queen, and Jack. So there's a good chance you'll find them all together!"

Dick furrowed his eyebrows together. "Jack?"

"Mmhmm. He's part of the royal family, or something."

"Okay. Thanks. I guess I should get going now then..."

Babs frowned as she walked him to the door. "Yeah, I guess...I'm going to miss you, Dick."

Surprised, Dick glanced up at her, a small smirk on his lips. "Don't be silly. We just met."

She glanced down fondly at him. "Yeah, but you remind me of someone I used to know. He went away a long time ago. I still see him, every now and then, but he's not actually there. You, on the other hand. You're here. It's nice."

Stopping at the door, Dick looked up at her, confusion written across his features. "I don't think I understand what you're saying."

She shook her head. "That's okay. It's not important." She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "You be safe, Dick." She leaned back and winked at him, smiling. "Don't let any sand sharks get you, okay?"

Chuckling quietly, Dick assured her he wouldn't and went on his way, waving back at her as he left.

After walking for about 15 minutes, Dick stopped and whirled around, staring at the faded form of the hut. "Wait, did she...call me...?" Shaking his head, he turned back around and continued on. He must have been imagining it.

He had never told Wonderland Babs his last name, after all.

* * *

**Sand sharks exist because I like putting Dick in dresses. If you find fault in this logic, then you're in the wrong part of this site.  
On a side note, when you review, FF censors Dick's name in the emails I get. This amuses me, so I thought I'd share, haha.  
Speaking of reviews, you should totally do that! It makes me happy and junk when you do! =3**


	3. The Walrus and the Carpenter

**This image thing is driving me crazy. I seriously feel like I need to either commission someone awesome to make me "covers" or I need to get off my lazy butt and draw up my own crappy covers. =/  
If only the entire world appreciated seeing Cloud Strife sitting on a chocobo as much as I do. Then I wouldn't even be thinking about this. *sigh*  
**** Big thanks to my lovely rachello344** for betaing!  
Disclaimer: If I owned Young Justice, Tim would get a Catlad episode or two. Just saying.

* * *

Dick had sand in his shoes.

Not a lot, mind, but still. It was there. He could feel it.

It bothered him.

Looking ahead, Dick could clearly see a line of trees in the distance. He'd been walking for...he looked at the sun to gauge the time and narrowed his eyes. According to the position, negative 2 hours had gone by since he left Babs...

45 minutes then, he guessed. That felt about right. More right than traveling backwards in time, in any case.

Wiping some sweat from his brow, he cast a glance at his surroundings. Every now and then he passed a few large rocks, but they proved pitiful shade from the desert heat. He hadn't rested much since he started.

Right now, there was only one rock fixture in sight, to his right. Ignoring it, he was about to carry on when he did a double take, squinting at the distant sight.

There was a line of...something...moving around the rock. Curious, he changed direction to investigate. As he got closer, he realized the "somethings" were rather small, and dark in color. In fact, if he didn't know any better (and he absolutely did...he was kind of an expert on the subject), he'd say they were...

...bats.

He stopped, staring at them in disbelief. There, in the desert (the desert!), was a line of...his eyes scanned the trail...approximately 100 some bats, _walking_, as in, they were using the tips of their wings to hold their bodies up and were _walking on them_, along the sand, toward the rocks. In the direct sunlight. In the desert. In the sunlight. Walking.

Dick glared at them. "You're all mirages. Don't think you can fool me. I _live_ with bats."

The bats ignored him. Bastards.

With an aggravated huff, Dick walked toward them, ready to give those bats a lecture on proper bat etiquette and behavior when a shrill laugh made him stop cold in his tracks.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!

How I wonder what you're at!

Up above the world you fly,

Like a tea tray in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!

How I wonder what you're at!"

The laugh sounded again, shriller than before. "Oh Mista Wal-man, I got anotha one! These itty bitty b's just can't resist your voice, puddin'! And really! Who can blame 'em!"

The Joker, hands in his pockets, strolled out from behind one of the rocks. While he had missed it before, Dick could now clearly hear a steady thumping noise from somewhere within the rocks. Probably from wherever Harley Quinn was...

"Why thank you, my dear...Not many realize what a vocalist I am..." He frowned heavily and looked behind him. "Now, isn't that just awful, Carpet? Everyone is distracted by my..mmm, other, attributes, that they _completely_ ignore my other talents. I'm what they might call a...renaissance man, you see. Do you know what that is, Carpet?"

She giggled. "Sure do, Mista Wal-man! That's when a whole slew of talents are crammed into one person's body! So that person is skilled at everything and super amazing, just like you, puddin'!"

"Yes, Carpet...very good, dear." The Joker started humming the tune from before, lifting his hands to play conductor. "Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!" He laughed loudly and Harley soon joined in, their voices dispersing through the vast desert.

Dick was only vaguely away of his labored breathing. There was the Joker...in plain sight. All the man had to do was look to his right and he'd spot Dick...not Robin, but Dick. And to make matters worse, he didn't have a single weapon or tool on hand. There was nothing around for miles. Just sand, a few rocks, and...bats. He'd be dead if he didn't get out of dodge now, but...

...he couldn't just run, could he?

He looked over the Joker's appearance. He looked...relatively the same, more or less. He'd traded in his purple tie for a bright blue bow-tie, which wasn't terribly odd. He thought back to the clowns in the circus, and how some of them wore bow-ties that shot out water. The Joker's was probably full of some sort of special acid...

He was wearing a black bowler hat, which was more unusual than the tie, but again, Dick figured there was a trick to that too. Most unusual was the fact that the usual flower he kept pinned to his lapel was missing, but even that could be overlooked. Clearly the man was trying something a little new here anyway. He still had his purple suit and his green shirt with the orange collar. Green hair. Screwy face. This guy was still the Joker, no doubts. There were no crab claws, mouse ears, turtle shells, or rabbit ears to be found. Maybe...

His eyes narrowed. Maybe this was part of the plan. Mad Hatter must have been in league with the Joker! An unlikely match, true, but then again, when did the Joker ever do something expected? And now here he was, his plans about to come to fruition...

"Hmm?" The Joker stopped conducting, noticing Dick for the first time. Dick's spine went rigid as his mind sped through a hundred different courses of action.

Before he could do anything though, the Joker smiled widely, throwing his arms out. "Carpet-dear, we have a visitor! A pretty little girl wearing a pretty little dress!"

The thumping immediately stopped and Harley practically jumped out from behind the rocks. Unlike the Joker, her outfit was a little more strange (or rather, it was more normal...which was strange, but in a normal sort of way...). She was wearing black slacks and an oversized red t-shirt, covered with a white apron. While the color scheme was all right, it wasn't a very Harley-like outfit. Her mask and hood were missing, leaving her blonde pigtails in full view, as well as her face. There was a boxy, white hat with a squared brim atop her head. It reminded Dick of a painter's cap. In her right hand, she was holding an oversized wooden mallet, which was probably the most "Harley" part of the ensemble.

"A girl! Look here, missy, I don't know..." she paused suddenly, blinking owlishly at Dick, before smiling widely," Awww! She really is a little thing, isn't she Mista Wal-man! Like a little doll! What brings you out here, doll?"

Dick's face caught fire. They thought he was a girl.

Harley Quinn. And the Joker. They thought he was a girl.

Maybe he should just run...

The Joker made a few 'tut'ing noises as he approached him. "Now, lambchop, no need to be shy. Did your daddy tell you not to talk to strangers? Mmm, smart man, smart man!" He put a hand on Dick's back (his skin automatically raised into goosebumps) and pushed him forward, toward the rocks. "There are some pretty strange strangers out there, after all. Strangers that would do some, hmm, uhhh, not so _nice_ things, to a dear little pumpkin like yourself. But I'm no stranger! Oh no, I'm your Uncle Walrus! And that there is my wife, your dear Aunt Carpenter. Isn't that right, Carpet-dear?"

The Joker looked down at Dick, grinning. "I call her Carpet-dear, you see, as a sort of...play on words. Do you understand? Carpet-dear? Carpenter?" He let go of Dick to grip his stomach as he began howling with laughter at his own clever word play. Dick tried to smile back.

It wasn't really his best try, though.

Tossing the mallet behind her, Harley clapped her hands together, jumping up and down a few times. "Oh, absolutely Mista Wal-man! Just the very best aunt ever!" The mallet crashed to the ground behind her, startling the bats and causing them to scatter, screeching as they did.

"Carpenter! Look what you did! All that work gathering them, and you just scare them all away!" The Joker yelled, grin disappearing as he abandoned Dick to stalk toward her.

"Oh! I'm sorry Mista Wal-man! Puddin', please don't be mad at me! I was just excited, is all. I didn't mean it!"

He raised a hand then, grinning slowly, patted her gently on the cheek. "Of course you didn't, pet. I could never stay mad at you!"

Hesitant to bring notice to himself, but not really seeing any other option in sight, Dick did his best to raise his voice a notch as he spoke, "Why don't they fly away?"

"Hmmm? What's that, kiddo?"

"Aww, don't be silly, cupcake! Bats can't fly!" Harley laughed loudly. "See Mista Wal-man, I'm teachin' her stuff already! I'm gonna be such a great aunt!"

"Well, of course you are, my dear. I never doubted it!"

Dick took a step forward. "Uh...Aunt Carpet...what are you and...Uncle Walrus...doing with the bats, anyway?"

Harley beamed at him, prancing forward to sling her arms around his shoulders and press her cheek against him. "Oooh, you're so curious! Like a little kitten! Isn't she just like a kitten, Mista Wal-man? Our very own little puddy tat!"

Dick distantly realized he would never be able to call Wally, "Wall-man" ever again. A small part of him wondered if he would be disappointed.

"Yes, Carpet-dear, yes, just like an ickle fickle little cat. You wanted to know what we were doing, pumpkin? Why," he spread his arms wide, as if to showcase the fleeing bats, "I was trilling my tune to lure these little tasties, and Carpet here was lying in wait with her mallet, ready to bash their little bat brains in while they were distracted!" The Joker grabbed him from Harley and pulled him around the rocks, where a pile of bat carcasses came into view. It took everything he had to keep from sneering.

He _liked_ bats, for more than obvious reasons. Seeing them murdered like that...even if this Joker had no idea about Batman and Robin (as he was beginning to suspect), the heap of dead bats still felt like a personal attack.

From behind him, the Joker gripped his shoulders and leaned forward to talk quietly in his ear, while he slowly dragged his hands down Dick's arms.

"We're going to make ourselves a little stew, my dear. A little batsie brew. Just bats alone seems a little...mmm, I don't know..._bland_, I guess you could say. Hmm? Don't you think? Lambchop? But then _you_ came along and," he giggled shrilly, "well, it was just such a pleasant surprise!" He whirled Dick around and gripped his arms again, holding him close as he leered at him.

"So, what do you say, pet? Wanna help your ol' Uncle Walrus?" He gripped Dick's cheeks, forcing his lips together and answered himself in a high voice, "Oh yes, Uncle Walrus! I'll do whatever I can to help you and Auntie Carpet! Cause I just looooove you both so so so much!" Cackling, he pressed a finger against Dick's lips. "Shh, shh. I know, kiddo, I know. You just want to help! You're getting a little too excited though, don't you think?"

Dick bit him.

"Puddin'!" Harley yelled, running forward to coddle her love as he recoiled from Dick with a hiss, nursing his hand.

"You tramp! You made me bleed!"

"Just who do you think you are, huh? Didn't nobody ever teach you to respect your elders?" Harley said, glaring at him with a pout.

While Dick had no doubts about their sanity, he was fairly certain these weren't his Joker and Harley Quinn in cahoots with Mad Hatter. These were Wonderland doppelgangers.

Deciding to risk them having weapons other than the mallet, Dick fell into a fighters' stance.

The Joker laughed. "Carpet-dear, hand me your mallet, please. I think our little kitten needs to learn a lesson on manners from her dear Uncle Walrus..."

Harley retrieved the mallet from behind them, but held onto it, frowning softly. "Don't be too rough, Mista Wal-man. I _like_ bein' an Aunt...I'm good at it, ya know?"

"Hmm, of course, my dear, of course." He took a step toward Dick, tapping his fingertips together. "I'll just...tender her up a bit," he said, cackling loudly. He held out a hand. "The mallet, my dear?"

She hesitated. "You won't hurt her?"

"Just love taps, Carpet-dear. I promise."

Reassured, she started to hand the mallet over. Before she fully relinquished it though, the Joker ripped it from her hands then pushed her away, sending her flying backwards into the pile of bats. He swung the instrument experimentally, giggling hysterically as he slowly closed the distance between himself and the Boy Wonder.

And then a sand shark jumped out of the ground and ate him.

Dick, caught off guard, tumbled backwards onto the ground. Harley started screaming, struggling to get out of the pile of dead bats. Throwing herself to the ground, she began beating at the ground, crying. She turned to him with a sneer.

"See what you did! You made my puddin' bleed and then one of them nasty sharks up and ate him! This is your fault!"

Dick watched her as she clawed at the sand, as if she could dig her lover back up. He felt kinda bad. Kinda. "It was just a small drop of blood...surely it couldn't smell such an insignificant amount..."

She glared at him. "Sand sharks can smell blood from up to 50 miles away! Even just a drop! What are ya, stupid? Everybody knows that!"

Frowning, Dick contemplated the new information. Walking from the door to Babs' hut...just how close to death had he been? If he wasn't so used to nearly dying, it probably would have been an unsettling thought.

Watching Harley sob into the sand, Dick was at a bit of a loss as to what to do. Did he just leave her...? That felt...well, kinda mean, honestly.

Mindful of keeping his distance (even without the Joker, Harley wasn't one that should be taken lightly), he stood up, brushing the sand off his dress. "Listen, Aunt Carpet-"

"I'm _not_ you Aunt. _My_ little puddy tat would never kill her Uncle Wal-man!" she interrupted, sniffing loudly, "Why don't you just get out of here, huh? Don't ya think you've caused enough trouble?"

Dick wanted to tell her she should be glad. He wanted to tell her she deserved better, that the Joker treated her badly, and she should find someone who really loved her for who she was, instead of just pretending and using her...but people like Harley couldn't be told that. He and Batman had already tried.

He didn't need to be told twice. Backing away a bit, lest she decide to attack him, he distanced himself from her until he felt it was a safe to turn his back on her. Then he ran.

* * *

When Dick finally reached the forest and his feet hit hard earth, he nearly collapsed in relief. He didn't want to admit it, but the knowledge that a sand shark could emerge at any moment and eat him before he had time to blink slightly unnerved him. Walking through the desert had been like knowingly walking through a mine field.

Walking into the thick of the forest, Dick started thinking about what was to come. So far, he had met Wonderland versions of the Joker and Harley Quinn, Barbara Gordon (who wasn't even a part of the superhero world, so that was weird...), Aquaman, the Flash...Artemis and Aqualad were the only members of the team he'd run into so far. Were the others to come? Maybe Superboy and Miss M were in this forest, or Zatanna.

He came to a small brook and stopped, taking a moment to crouch next to it. Maybe Wally was here somewhere too...

Cupping his hands underneath the water, Dick debated whether or not he should drink it. On the one hand, he had just spent close to an hour in a desert, and he was dehydrated...on the other hand, last time he drank something in Wonderland, he ended up in an ocean of his own blood.

"It's safe to drink, don't worry."

"Completely safe, kid, go ahead and take a drink."

"I just told him that!"

"I was reiterating, stop being so touchy!"

"You were mocking me!"

"Oh come one, you're being childish!"

Slowly, Dick turned to look behind him, not bothering to actually stand up. Just as he figured (based on the voices), Ollie and Roy were in front of him, wrestling with each other. Ollie was dressed in a sort of dumbed down version of his uniform. In fact, he kind of looked liked Robin Hood...

Roy, on the other hand, was back in his Speedy outfit, though it too was stripped down, like Oliver's. They were both wearing their masks. Overall, they looked rather twinish, just with different color schemes.

With a grunt, the two fell to the ground, with Roy pushing Ollie's face in the dirt. Dick cupped some water into his hands and took a drink, idly watching as as Ollie broke free and tackled Roy to the ground, shoving the other's face into his armpit.

"Ha ha! Take that!"

Sputtering, Roy lifted his legs, bringing Ollie with them, and flung the other away. Ollie went flying and Roy's body suddenly jerked forward, propelling him from his back onto his front.

Taking another drink of water, Dick raised an eyebrow. That was strange.

"Uhh, guys?"

Lifting their faces from the grass, they both glanced at him, then hastily stood up. It was then that Dick noticed the handcuffs. Linking Roy's right hand to Ollie's left were a pair of steel handcuffs connected by a long chain that hung between them.

That explained Roy's little whiplash incident, then.

Dick stood up, straightening his dress (stupid thing, always twisting and sticking to him and getting messed up...). "Green Arrow? Red?" He tried hesitantly, expecting the worst.

Which is what he got. Both gave him confused looks.

"Uh, sorry kid. You're confused. I'm," Roy pointed to himself, "Tweedledee. And this," he pointed a thumb at Ollie, "is Tweedledum."

In Gotham, there were two villains who went by those aliases. They were short and fat, and could roll their bodies around like human bowling balls. Looking at Ollie and Roy, Dick tried not to think about it.

Roy was looking at him strangely. "Are you a guy?"

Ollie elbowed him. "Dee, that's rude!"

"Shut it, Dum!"

Roy pushed his chest and Ollie retaliated. Before they started fighting again, Dick decided to intervene.

"Yes!" he shouted, running forward to squeeze between them. "I'm a guy. It's a long story, really." Once they were relatively separated, he stepped back, giving himself some space.

"We have time," Ollie said, smiling jovially.

"No we don't," Roy countered, sneering at him.

They locked eyes and looked ready to start swinging, so Dick cleared his throat loudly.

"Well, actually, uh, my clothes were eaten by sand sharks. And...this was the only thing available."

They stared at him for a moment before Roy huffed and crossed his arms. "That wasn't a long story..." he mumbled peevishly. Dick sighed. The Wonderland Arrows so far weren't turning out to be the most pleasant pair. Best try to get on his way, and quickly.

"Any chance either of you knows how to get to the castle? I need to see the King and Queen. And the Jack too, I guess."

"_I_ don't know the way. Sorry."

"Sorry kid, but we don't know. We've never had need to go there."

Roy glared at Ollie, "_You_ don't know. And _I_ don't know. There is no _we_ there, okay? You. And I. It's separate."

Ollie scowled. "What's wrong with you? Why are you so desperate to distance yourself from me? We're stuck together!" He raised his hand, gesturing to the link between them. "Just get used to it, Dee!"

"You expect me to get used to being your double, Dum! I'm my own person! I shouldn't have to stay with you!"

"Well, I _want_ you to stay with me! Doesn't that matter?"

"No!"

Conversation getting a little too "real world" Roy and Ollie on him, Dick decided to interrupt. "Hey! Any chance either of you have seen the Blond Rabbit then? I'm looking for him too."

Roy cast him a harsh looks, annoyed at being interrupted again. "And what for? Why should I tell you if I've seen him or not?"

Dick shifted a bit, uncomfortable. He was used to Roy's moods but...well, they were never directed at _him_. Back home, Roy adored him. Doted on him, even. Having his anger directed at him was a tiny bit upsetting."Because...we're friends..." he said, unsure of any other answer.

Roy snorted. "I have no friends," he said, turning around so he was facing away from both Dick and Oliver. Dick tried not to let the words bother him.

Oliver grimaced, smiling apologetically. "Sorry kid. I'll help you out. The Blond Rabbit-"

Roy spun around. "Oh, so now you think you can help him better than I could? You think I'm stupid because I'm younger, right? That's not how it works, Dum!"

"I wasn't thinking anything like that, Dee! Why do you always think I'm making some sort of attack on you!"

"Cause you _are_ always making some attack on me! But you're such a passive aggressive ass, you won't tell me how you feel to my face! Just say it, Dum!"

They were standing chest to chest, fists clenched as they stared heatedly at each other.

"And what's that, Dee? How do you think I feel about you, huh? Please, spell it out for me, cause I'm at a loss!"

Roy pushed him. "You hate me! You think I'm an embarrassment and a disappointment, and you hate that I don't let you control me like I'm your stupid dog or something!"

"Dee...Dee, I don't feel that way at all...you're my son, I love-"

"Don't lie to me! Don't..." Shaking slightly, Roy brushed past him and pointed out into the forest. "The Blond Rabbit went that way, Rob. You should leave."

Dick nodded, uncomfortable with the tension. "Yeah, I will. Thank you, Speedy."

Roy gave him an odd look. "My name is Tweedledee."

"Right...sorry," he said, smiling slightly. He started to leave when Oliver stopped him.

"Wait, kid. Dee's wrong, the Rabbit went that way," he said, pointing out toward the brook. Roy barked a laugh.

"Really, Dum? Now you're calling me a liar too? If I didn't know better, I'd think _you_ were the one who wanted to break this link between us...not me."

"Dee, it's not like that. I'm not calling you a liar...just mistaken. You weren't paying attention when the Rabbit came through. There's nothing wrong with-"

"Shut up! Dee, you weren't paying attention. Dee, you got that wrong. Dee, you're not good enough, Dee, you're not smart enough, Dee, Dee, Dee! Why won't you just trust me!"

"This isn't about trust, Dee! This is about us working together! We used to do everything together...you used to _like_ being by my side. What happened, Dee? This isn't how things should be."

Roy's demeanor didn't change as he stared at Oliver, still pointing out toward the forest. "He went that way, kid. Get going."

Dick hesitated. "I...don't think I ever told you my name...You called me Rob..."

Roy turned to look at him, frowning. "I called you kid, kid."

Dick shook his head. "No, before. You called me by my name. Red, you know who I am, don't you?"

He lowered his hand. "So you think I'm a liar now too, huh? Am I that untrustworthy? And my name is Dee. Tweedledee. I told you that."

"No, Re-I mean, Dee. I didn't mean that at all." He paused, hesitant to leave his friend. "I must have been mistaken. Sorry. This way, right? Just go straight?"

Roy seemed skeptical, like he was unsure if Dick was being truthful or just humoring him, but he nodded anyway. "Yeah, just go straight. If you need to drink, dip a stone in any water you find. If it turns silver, don't drink it. If it stays the same, it's safe. And don't eat _anything_ in there, except the pink mushrooms. But only eat one bite, and only if you're really hungry. You'll get sick, otherwise."

Dick nodded. "Got it. Thanks, Dee. I'll see you around."

"I doubt it," Roy said, turning away from him.

"Kid, listen, you're going the wrong way. Listen to me."

"Shut up, Dum! He's not going the wrong way!"

"Yes he is!"

"No, he's not!"

Dick could hear the sounds of their hits, and then a thump as they fell to the ground and began wrestling again, but he didn't turn around. Wonderland Roy was little too real for his liking, and turning a back on his friends wasn't something he liked to do. He had a feeling, if he looked back, he wouldn't be able to turn away twice.

* * *

After walking through the forest for a good hour, Dick was starting to get worried. He trusted Roy, but there was always the possibility...because well, he trusted Oliver too. Just not as much. But no, that didn't matter. Roy wouldn't steer him wrong. Forests were big, oftentimes. Of course it'd take a while.

"Having second thoughts?"

Dick was trained well enough not to show when he was caught off guard, but he'd be lying if he said he hadn't been startled. It was nearly impossible to sneak up on him, yet somehow, it had happened. His mood immediately soured.

"Cheshire," he said curtly, eyeing the other boy suspiciously.

Cheshire swung from the tree he was in to another one nearby. "Dick. You didn't answer my question. Are you avoiding it? Questions can't really be avoided, you know. You can ignore them, and dodge them, but they're still there. They never go away, like people do. They just sort of..." he hooked his knees around a branch and dropped down so he was hanging upside down, his face mere inches from Dick's, "...hang around, waiting to be noticed again."

Dick went around him. "Having second thoughts about what?"

Cheshire returned to the treetops, jumping along the branches to keep up with Dick as he walked. "Taking Tweedledee's advice, of course. Tweedledum could have been the correct one. Did you make the right choice?"

Dick decided not to ask how the other knew about his conversation with the two archers. "I made the right choice."

"And how do you know you made the right choice, and not the left one?"

Dick grinded his teeth, aggravated. "Because I trust Roy. He wouldn't steer me wrong."

Cheshire dropped down in front of him, forcing him to stop. "And Tweedledum would?"

Pushing past him, Dick growled, "No, it's not like that. I trust them both. Roy's one of my best friends though. So I listen to him. You wouldn't understand."

Cheshire was quiet for a few seconds, before he quietly asked, "And what if you didn't listen? What if you listened to Tweedledum instead. Would Dee stop being your friend, if you didn't do what he said?"

Caught off guard, Dick turned around. "What? No, Roy wouldn't do that. I don't do everything he tells me. I just heed his advice. He might get ticked, but he'd never stop being my friend."

"Never?"

Dick watched him, frowning slightly. "Don't you have any friends?"

Cheshire walked toward him. "Yes, no, and yes, depending what time you're asking."

Dick leaned back as Cheshire got too close. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Sure it does. I'm talking about did, do, and will. Which is time. It's not important though. Right now, I have you. That's all I need, at this time of do."

"I'm not your friend," Dick pointed out testily, taking a step back. Cheshire mirrored the movement, stepping forward.

"Of course not. If you were, I'd be mad that you went right before, when I said left."

"You never said that!"

"Didn't I? That sounds like something a not-friend would say..." Shifting his attention, he grabbed the hem of Dick's dress and held it up in a mock-curtsey, "By the way, you look lovely today. The blue accents your eyes very well, did you know? Probably not. There aren't many looking glasses in the forest. Perhaps you think I'm lying though? Since we're not friends."

"Stop it," Dick ordered, pulling away. Cheshire took a step back then walked a circle around him, observing the outfit.

"It suits you, you know. I think because you're so small. Like a girl."

Coloring, Dick glared heatedly. "We're the same size."

Cheshire stopped. "True. But I don't wear dresses."

"Neither do I!"

Slowly, the cat-masked boy tilted his head to the side, the cocky, painted smile serving as all the rebuttal he needed.

Defeated, Dick turned on his heels and started walking away. "I don't have time for this," he said, stomping further into the forest.

Behind him, Cheshire grabbed hold of a low branch and hauled himself up into the treetops, jumping from branch to branch to keep up. "No time? That's silly. You always have time. Take me, for instance. I don't have much do time, being rushed, but I have plenty of did time to make up for it. I'm not sure about my will time, but I'm hoping I have plenty lying around."

Dick snorted. "_You're_ in a rush?"

"Of course," Cheshire dangled from a branch, ruffling Dick's hair with his foot, "Aren't you?"

Dick smacked him away. "Of course I am!"

Swinging back up into the trees, Cheshire stopped, lying on a branch as he reclined against the trunk of the tree. "Nonsense. If you were rushed, you wouldn't have been walking in this circle for so long."

Dick stopped, wheeling around. "What?"

Cheshire slid down so his back was straight as he lay on the branch. He brought a hand up and, pointing a finger toward the sky, made a circle. "A circle is round. Walking one means you've been walking the same path over and over and over and over and over and-"

"I know that! I just..." He made a noise of frustration, "How do you know I've been walking in a circle?"

Cheshire flipped so he was lying on his stomach. "That's easy. The center hasn't changed."

"And what would the center be?" he asked, eyebrow raised. Cheshire shrugged.

"The center is where the circle's two radiuses meet to start a life together. Get a house, have some kids, make a diameter. As for the marking point, it could be a friend. Or a rock. Or an enemy. Or some grass. But it's probably a friend...but only if it isn't."

Dick sighed wearily. "And which way should I turn to reach the center?"

Dick could almost feel the smugness rolling off the other as he stood up on the branch, one hand leaning against the trunk for support. "Why, the right way, of course."

Before Dick's blood could fully reach boiling point (it was close), Cheshire leapt in the opposite direction, swiftly and quietly disappearing from view amongst the trees. Cursing quietly to himself, Dick turned his body exactly 90 degrees and started walking.

Right angle it was, then.

* * *

**And you thought sand sharks existed just to put Dick in dresses. Haha! Did I ever fool you! They do other stuff too!  
I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of YJ's Joker. For this, I was definitely influenced by the Joker from my childhood, Mark Hamill (I think there's a dusting of Heath Ledger in there too...). =)  
****Ya'll should review and junk to be nice and make me happy! I love hearing from you!  
**


	4. Of Pepper and Caterpillars

**Ooooh my goodness. Sorry if this is late. I don't even know, I'm so out of sorts right now. I'm in London right now, and I'm shaking off the remains of my jetlag, haha. These past few days have been rough, and my internet access has been rather limited. Things are settling down a bit now though! I'll be here for a month and I'm going to do my very best to keep updating while I'm abroad. =)  
As always, everyone give a big thank you to ****rachello344** for her lovely beta work! She's a pint of awesomesauce!  
Disclaimer: If I owned Young Justice...well, I suppose I wouldn't be so far behind in the episodes, for one...

* * *

Bruce hated admitting when someone he loathed was right. Wally did too.

Dick, on the other hand, was a little more mellow. Bruce thought it was the influence of his parents; Alfred liked to believe it was a result of his own presence in the boy's life. Neither knew who was right, but nonetheless, Dick was one of those rare heroes who could accept that he was wrong without a tantrum.

Which is why he was only mildly irritated when, after walking for a mere 10 minutes, he found himself in a clearing. The center of the circle, it seemed.

Stepping out of the tall grass into the more well kept area, Dick observed his surroundings. The clearing wasn't particularly big, but there was a small cottage in the center of it, with a small flower garden in front of it and a larger vegetable garden beside it.

Dick raised an eyebrow. Was he in a front yard, then? Weird place for a house...

Suddenly, the door opened and a large figure stepped out, slamming the door behind him.

Observing the person, Dick briefly considered crawling back into the woods. This was just too much for him...

Walking toward him was no other than Red Tornado, who had a frilly white apron similar to Dick's tied around his waist and a white bandana tied around his head. In his left hand he carried a broom.

He stopped when he saw Dick, clenching his broom tightly. "Have they replaced me so soon?"

"Huh?" Dick blinked owlishly up at him. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was just...passing through."

"I see. Excuse me, in that case. My name is Mary Ann. I worked as a maid for the people who live there," he pointed toward the cottage, "but I just quit. I thought perhaps you were my replacement."

"Uhh, afraid not...Mary Ann," he felt his face warming slightly, embarrassed on the other's behalf, "If you don't mind me asking, who lives in that house? And why did you quit?" Might as well gather intel while the opportunity presented itself.

"This is the home of The Duke, and his son, The Cook. The Cook is a nice enough boy. He's very affectionate, but often has issues with his temper. His father rarely ever gets angry, but he shows little affection for anyone, even his son. As a result, the son has taken to adopting quite a few pets. They are...troublesome to care for. Especially The Puppy."

As the son of the world's greatest detective, Dick himself was a pretty fine detective, often deducing crimes faster than the big bat himself (he was particularly good with riddles, thank you very much, Riddler). He knew in an instant who the "Duke" and "Cook" were. One part of him was elated while another, arguably larger, part of him wanted to skip the house entirely and just press on.

"Was that why you left? The pets?"

Red Tornado shook his head, the metal of his body gleaming in the sunlight. "No, that was not the reason. You see, I originally took this job in order to learn about being human. You see..." he hesitated, then, lowering his head, admitted, "I'm not actually a human..."

After a lengthy pause, Dick realized a reaction was expected of him. Starting, he raised a hand to him mouth. "Oh! Uh...my!"

Red Tornado looked away, ashamed. "I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. I came here thinking if I could live amongst humans for a while, I would learn how to be human myself but..." he cast a glance back at the house, "I'm beginning to doubt either of these two are even human at all. The boy, maybe, but certainly not The Duke. I suggest you go on your way, traveler. Don't bother with these people."

That said, Red Tornado walked passed him, striding into the forest and disappearing amongst the brush. Dick sighed. Great. Just great.

Squaring his shoulders, Dick walked toward the house, readying himself for the worst. He knocked twice and the door creaked upon under the pressure. Surprised, Dick poked his head through the crack.

"Hello?"

He squinted and pushed the door open all the way. The house was well lit, but there was some kind of smoke or smog clogging the air. He breathed in and immediately sneezed.

"Is that you Mary Ann? I knew you wouldn't actually leave! Come here, would you?" The statement was immediately followed by a sneeze.

"I'm not Mary Ann. My name is-is," Dick sneezed again, then a third time right after. He headed toward the voice. "My name is Dick," he said, sniffing.

"What was that Mary Ann? Never mind, I don't care. Help The Cook prepare dinner, would you? And try not to throw any fits this time, okay?" As he got closer, Superman's figure came into view, reclining in a large, almost throne-like chair. He beamed that famous Kent smile at him. "Thanks Mary Ann!" he said, right before sneezing again.

Squinting through the smoke, Dick made his way over to a figure across the room. As he got closer, he could hear the person sneezing.

"Mary Ann?" Superboy asked, turning around. He frowned, then sneezed, then frowned again. "You're not Mary Ann."

"No, I'm not. Tell that to Supes over there though..." He sneezed.

Superboy raised an eyebrow. "He's not soup...this is soup," he said, pushing a bowl across the counter he was standing at so Dick could observe it. "He's just The Duke. And I'm The Cook, by the way. Nice to meet you, I guess...are you our new help?"

"No, I'm-hey, quit it!" Dick reached forward to stop him as Conner threw a handful of pepper into the soup. A cloud of black emerged and they both sneezed.

Conner reached from another handful and Dick slapped his hand away. "Stop it, Cook!" He sneezed. "Is that what all this smog is? Pepper?"

Curtly, Superboy nodded. "Yes. I use it in the soup."

"Conner, the whole house is shrouded in a pepper cloud! No soup needs that much pepper!" Looking down at the bowl, Dick wondered how it was even there. It should be buried in pepper by now...

Conner stared down at him. "You say 'Cook' weird. And I don't put it all in the soup." As if to demonstrate, he picked up a bowl of the finely ground spice and blew, sending a cloud into the air. He sneezed and, somewhere in the distance, Clark did too.

Dick snatched the bowl from him. "What are you doing? Why would you want to do that? You're the reason we keep-we keep," he sneezed, "We keep sneezing!"

Superboy looked toward Superman's silhouette wistfully. "Pepper makes me sneeze..."

Dick sniffed. "You don't say?"

He ignored him. "Pepper makes him sneeze too...it's the only thing we have in common..."

Dick felt his irritation melt away, quickly replacing it with sympathy. "Superboy..."

Conner looked down at him. "You're weird. Do you think you could help me with something, though?"

Dick nodded. "Sure, what is it?"

Conner handed him a heavy black container and took a step back. "Pour that into the soup. It's the final ingredient. I can't touch it cause I'm allergic." He took a few more steps back.

Suspicious, but curious, Dick turned the bottle upside down, nearly dropping it when bright, neon green liquid began dribbling from the top. Just a few drops landed in the soup before he turned the bottle over, slamming it on the counter.

"Conn-ugh! Cook! You can't give this to him! He'll die!"

Striding toward him, Conner grabbed him by the front of his dress and hauled him off the ground. "You don't know that! Just grab the bowl, and give it to him, all right! Everything will be fine!"

Dick pulled at the taller boy's hands to no effect, but Conner set him down on his own. "Just give it to him, okay? That's all I'm asking."

"He'll die," Dick sneered.

Conner looked away. "I know, just...at least this way, I can pretend...just do it, okay?" His eyes hardened. "Do it, or else."

Eyes narrowing, Dick grabbed the bowl and walked toward Superman's throne, Conner keeping close to him.

"About time!" Superman said, punctuating the sentence with a sneeze, "I'm starving! This better be good! Last time there was way too much pepper!" His features softened the tiniest bit. "Not that I blame you, Mary Ann."

"I'm not Mary Ann...don't you know what she...he...looks like? He...Mary Ann...worked for you for a while, right?"

Superman frowned. "Did you say something, Mary Ann? Do you think you could bring me my soup, please?" He smiled sheepishly. "I'm kinda hungry."

Dick opened his mouth to retaliate but found himself sneezing instead. Conner put a hand on his shoulder to steady him, so he didn't spill the soup.

"Just give it to him," Conner said, taking a quick step back as he slightly swooned, having come too close to the deadly meal. "It's," he groaned, shaking his head quickly to clear it, "for the best."

"The Cook, don't boss Mary Ann around! She works very hard!"

Conner stood up straight. "You were just bossing him around yourself!"

Superman stood up from his throne. "Don't speak to me that way! How dare you accuse me of harassing Mary Ann!"

Listening to the two bicker, Dick's thoughts turned off and his mind switched to gut-instinct mode. Tilting the bowl toward his mouth, he drank the contents.

"No!" Conner yelled, stepping forward then dropping to a knee as the Kryptonite's effects hit him.

"My soup! Mary Ann, that's unprofessional!" Superman chided, ignoring his obviously ailing son.

Gasping once he finished, Dick took a deep breath of air and immediately started coughing as he inhaled the pepper.

The threat gone, Conner got to his feet, fuming. "Look what you did! You ruined everything!" With a roar of rage, the larger boy charged toward him. Dick tried to dodge but found his body didn't comply. He took a step back as his vision swam before him. Conner's fist flying toward him was in his vision one second...and then Conner's chest...and then his pelvis...his kneecaps...his ankles. Rubbing his head, Dick looked up to see the towering figure of Superboy looming over him.

"Where did you go!" he roared, swinging wildly in the pepper cloud. The sheer volume of Conner's voice nearly knocked Dick over.

"The Cook, leave Mary Ann alone! She didn't do anything wrong!"

"Mary Ann isn't here! And he's a guy! He cross-dresses!" Superboy snapped, rounding on his father.

Superman looked perplexed. "What?"

Growling, Superboy cast his gaze around the room. "Where did you go! You ruined everything. Things were finally going to be okay..."

After momentarily dying inside at Conner's cross-dress statement (he supposed he should be grateful the other knew he was a male at all...unless of course he was referring to "Mary Ann," which brought up a whole new set of questions concerning Red Tornado's hobbies...), Dick used his new, smaller size to his advantage and quickly fled the room, dodging the pieces of furniture Conner was throwing around. Clark was yelling at him for destroying the house, and the booming sound of his voice made Dick's ears ring.

Once outside, Dick sneezed several more times as his body simultaneously tried to cough. Once the fit passed, he cautiously walked forward, glancing back at the noisy cottage. He felt bad leaving Supey like that, but, well...the Super residence didn't seem like the safest place for him, at the moment.

He stopped suddenly as the world around him grew dark. Looking behind him to see what was blocking the sun, Dick's heart plummeted.

Wolf.

Red Tornado's words came back to him. "The Cook" had pets that were troublesome...particularly one called "The Puppy."

And of course The Puppy would actually be Wolf, and of course Dick would get the chance to meet him only after he'd shrunk to the size of a small rodent.

Leaning his head down, Wolf gazed at Dick for a short moment then sniffed him.

Quick to react, Dick grabbed onto a few grass blades as the force of the sniff blew him off his feet. Thoroughly disheveled, Dick booked it, trying to distance himself from the gargantuan dog before he accidentally got sucked into his nose or something.

Hearing a thud behind him, Dick glanced back and was horrified to find Wolf was chasing him.

Stopping in his tracks, he dove to the left just in time to avoid being trampled. His body hit the ground hard and he rolled a short distance down a tiny hill. Clenching his shoulder with a wince, he kept low, hiding in the grass as Wolf searched for him. The large canine howled once, then, nose to the ground, slowly trod off in search of its prey.

Careful of his shoulder, Dick stood up, pulling down his dress, which had rumpled in the back. No sooner was he finished when a new sound reached his ears. He kept still and silent, trying to make it out.

It was continuous, not like Wolf's footsteps...it almost sounded like someone was rolling...a...ball...

Looking behind him with dread, Dick saw Sphere barreling toward him from across the field. Without a second thought, he took off running towards the forest, the rumbling sound of Sphere's approach growing louder every second.

Apparently, Sphere's action caught Wolf's attention as Dick heard another howl, followed by the thump of the dog's paws as he joined in the chase.

Dick searched desperately for some plan of escape as he powered forward, but with his small size, the two beasts caught up with him in mere seconds. The shadow of one of them (or both) fell over them and Dick braced himself for the worst.

And then he was flying.

His bangs fluttering in his face, Dick watched the ground shrink away from him. Sphere kept on its course, barreling into the woods, making a path for itself, but Wolf stopped, howling at the skies.

Something...or someone, very large, had grabbed him in their fist. He looked up.

"Black Canary?" Except...she had enormous blonde wings (to match her enormous body) sprouting from her back and...was that a tail he just saw?

Straining his neck, he tried to look behind him to see the swishing appendage, but couldn't see anything. Above him, Dinah screeched. The sound was enough to make him dizzy.

"Black canary! _Black canary_! Listen here boy (Dick almost cheered at the word), I'll have you know my feathers are _blonde_, not black, and I am very clearly a gryphon. _Not_ a canary," she spat, "Don't make me regret saving you, human." She snorted. "Black canary, honestly," she mumbled, "Mistaking me for a common bird..."

A gryphon. Body of a lion, head and wings of an eagle. He'd learned about them during his Advanced Ancient Mythology II class...taught by Alfred in the upstairs library during his second summer at the Wayne residence. Because Bruce thought the knowledge might be important.

Wiggling a little in Dinah's grasp, Dick couldn't help but smile. Bruce was always right.

Feeling him move, Dinah lifted her hand and deposited him on her back. Holding tightly to her jacket, Dick looked behind him. Lion tail. He was right.

"So...uh, Miss Gryphon...thanks for saving me." No harm in being polite. Dinah was usually nice to him.

"You're welcome, little one. To be honest, I saved you with plans to eat you. I didn't realize you were human though. I've never seen humans as small as you before."

Dick wasn't sure how to feel about that. "Uh, yeah...I'm usually not this small. I ate something weird."

"I see. Around this area, you really shouldn't eat anything but pink mushrooms."

So Roy _did_ tell the truth. He knew it. Stupid Cheshire didn't know what he was talking about.

"Yeah, I've been told. There was a...situation though. An accident, I guess you could say."

Dinah hummed idly. "Well, you should be more careful. Where were you headed, little human?"

Dick shifted on her back, readjusting his grip. "To the castle, to see the King and Queen. I need to get home, and I was told they might help."

"I don't know about that, but I suppose it's possible. I would take you, but gryphons are hunted by the royal court, you see. We make fine trophies, I hear," she said bitterly, "So I keep my distance."

"Oh." Dick imagined Dinah's body on display in a hall and cringed.

"I'll take you through the first quarter of the royal forest, but then I'll have to leave you. You understand?"

Dick nodded. "Of course. Thank you for taking me so far. I really appreciate it."

Dinah hummed her acknowledgment, flying forward silently.

After a good 20 minutes of flying, Dick noticed a thin trail of smoke in the distance.

"Miss Gryphon, do you see that?"

She nodded. "I do. It could be other humans...or something else. Humans are fleshy and weak, and the forest can be dangerous...particularly for creatures of your size. You'd be best to ignore it."

Dick tried not to let his pride overcome him. "I'm stronger than I look, and a little more resilient than most humans...I think we should check it out."

"No. If you want to investigate, I will let you go...we're almost a quarter of the way through the forest anyway. But I will not accompany you. Most humans aren't as pleasant to accompany as you are."

Dick smiled, moving forward to hold onto her neck. "Thanks. You can drop me off here. I'll be okay."

Reaching around herself, she plucked him off her by the back of his dress and let him settle on her hand. He stood, gripping her thumb to keep steady.

"If you're certain."

Dick nodded. "I am. Thank you for taking me so far."

"You're welcome. Be safe, little human. The world is full of dangers."

Dick smiled slightly. "Trust me. I'm well aware."

With her other hand, Dinah plucked him away from her finger, dangling him in the air.

"Uh, Miss Gryphon? You're going to fly down aren't yoaaaaaAAAAHHHHHH!" Dick screamed as his body somersaulted through the air, his arms pinwheeling wildly.

"Goodbye, little one! I hope we meet again!" That said, Dinah turned and flew off, leaving him alone.

He almost instantly stopped yelling, lest he attract attention to himself, and he managed to get his body upright before he crashed into the tree tops. He plummeted down, his fall broken by hundreds of leaves and branches, the latter of which tore his clothes and skin. He threw an arm over his eyes to protect them and waited, blind, to hit the ground.

His body came to a halt with a loud "fwoop" sound, hitting something soft, yet hard in a compact sort of way...like sand, but less gritty. He opened his eyes and saw white.

Whatever he had fell in had made a cloud when he hit it and he coughed, crawling his way through the soft white...sand stuff. He squinted, only able to see the fluff beneath him and his own body. His arms and chest were covered in the white powder, and he could feel it covering his face. Dangling in his eyes, he could see his bangs were white too.

Blinded in the cloud, he crawled forward and tumbled out of whatever he was sitting in and fell face first to the ground.

"Are you okay?"

Groaning slightly, he looked up and saw a hand being extended to him. It was white with the strange powder, like his own. The person was extending their right hand, but the fall had jostled his wound too badly for him to return the action. He lifted his left hand instead and gripped the person's wrist, pulling himself up.

The person giggled and he looked up, meeting a familiar green face. He smiled.

"M'gann."

She tilted her head, smiling curiously, and Dick cringed as he took in her appearance. From the neck up, she was exactly as he knew her, but her torso...

She had eight arms, four on each side, which wasn't something he necessarily wasn't used to, but, well...

She was also naked.

Gay or not, his face still heated as he took in her appearance. She wasn't _totally_ naked, per say. There was some sort of dark red ribbon across her chest, similar to the 'X' on her uniform, giving her the bare minimum of coverage. Other than that though...

Her bottom half wasn't clothed either, but Dick found that far less bothersome, because her bottom half was the body of a caterpillar.

Actually, he thought with a cringe, maybe it would be better if she was just naked. That might be easier to look at than M'gann the Green Caterpillar. Seeing her like this was weird.

She laughed again, crawling away from him as she dusted off her hands. "What a strange language. M'gann...is that how you say hello? Anyway, my name is Miss Caterpillar...can you understand me?"

Dick nodded. "Yeah, I understand."

She clapped her hands together. "Good! I was so surprised when you just fell from the sky like that! Good thing my flour broke your fall, or you'd probably be really hurt right now."

"Flour...?" He looked behind him and saw a brown bag, about the same size as himself, where he had fallen. Inside was the white powder. The bag was clearly labeled "FLOUR." Huh. Who'd have thought?

Slowly, he followed after her, glancing around at everything that wasn't her many caterpillar legs or her bare torso. In front of him was another brown bag, this one labeled "SUGAR" and three small bird eggs. They reached to about his waist.

Ignoring them, Dick looked to where M'gann was headed, which seemed to be the source of the smoke. Looking around her, he saw dark smoke billowing out from beneath a large, stemless mushroom cap, lying on the ground. The top was propped up with a twig, making a sort of mushroom cove.

"I'm baking cookies! Or at least..." She reached into the space beneath the mushroom and pulled out a bottle cap covered in dark brown lumps, "I'm trying..." she finished sadly, holding out the cap. "They're a little burnt. No one can eat them now..."

"I'm sure they're not _so_ bad..." he said, hesitantly. Instinctively, Dick wanted to just take one, as he normally would, to make her feel better...but then, Speedy had said only pink mushrooms were safe...

"Oh no, these can't be eaten," she said, laying the cap on top of the mushroom, "Burnt cookies will make you grow. Didn't you know? And well, we're the perfect size. These would be awful for us."

Dick perked up. "They'd make us grow? That doesn't sound so bad!"

She crawled toward him (he had to look away) and started dusting the flour off him. "Don't be silly! I'm exactly three inches tall, and that's perfect! And look at you! Even shorter! Why would you want to change?"

So says the shapeshifter. "Well, to be honest, I'm not actually _supposed_ to be this size. I ate some bad soup and-"

"If you're bigger, they might step on you!" she interrupted, pouting at him as she licked her thumb and started scrubbing his face clean. He wrinkled his nose, but otherwise issued no complaint.

"They?"

She nodded. "Mmhmm. The big people. There's three of them living in the forest. Two of them are always moving about, spilling tea and dropping food...they've crushed more bugs than anyone in the forest! They dropped a cup of tea once and drowned a whole ant hill!"

Dick frowned. "I'm sure they don't _mean_ to kill anything. It sounds like they're killing them by accident..."

She frowned at him. "It's still murder. The less chance they have of seeing you, the less chance they have of killing you!"

Dick doubted that, but decided to keep his opinion to himself and try a different route. "Look...Miss Caterpillar. Haven't you ever wanted, you know...to change? Be something different?"

She frowned thoughtfully, fluffing his hair to get the flour out. "Well, I guess...I mean, caterpillars aren't really the most _envied_ of creatures..."

She straightened the bow around his neck. "I guess...I _have_ always wondered what it would be like to be like, a butterfly or something. It'd be nice to fit in with them..."

That was ironic. Dick took her hands in his, stopping her from primping him. "Miss Caterpillar...I want to meet the King and Queen, but right now, I'm way too small for them to notice me. I could never fit in with them...but _you_. You can help me! Please, Miss Caterpillar..."

Dick was very faintly aware that M'gann liked doting on him, to an extent. Like he was a kid brother. It was an awareness he had never exploited before, and he felt bad doing so now, even though this M'gann would never think of him as a brother...

She nodded, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. "Okay. Okay, I'll help." She turned, and crawled back over to the mushroom, picking up the bottle cap and holding it out to him. "Here, take as many as you want. I'm sorry if they taste bad...I really tried my best..."

He smiled, taking a cookie. "I know. Thanks, M'gann."

She looked confused. "I thought that meant hello...Oh! Hello! It means both! M'gann, then! I hope you find the King and Queen!"

"Thanks," he said, biting into the cookie. He did his best not to choke on the burnt, chalky substance and then his body immediately shot forward a foot. He glanced down at himself, not sure if he should be upset with his clothes or not. "Last time they ripped..."

"Ripped? You mean your clothes? Those must have been very poorly made, then! Wonderland clothes grow and shrink without any problems, to my knowledge!"

Of course. Stupid dress. Then again, his stitches were still in place, so he supposed he was grateful. He didn't really want to be naked in the forest, anyway.

Looking down, Dick plucked the bottle cap from M'gann's hands and dumped the rest of the cookies into his palm before handing the tray back to her, careful not to hurt her with his new size.

He ate two more cookies and he grew another two feet. Below him, M'gann said something, but she was too small to understand. He ate one more full cookie, then he carefully split the only one left in half with his fingernail and ate half of it. He glanced around, looking for something to measure his height against, but the forest fauna was too strange.

It was really no matter, he thought, stretching carefully then straightening out his clothes. He _felt_ 5'1", which was probably good enough.

He looked at the crumb in his hands. Then again, a few extra inches probably wouldn't hurt...

As he was considering it, the wind picked up and blew the crumb out of his hand. He lunged forward, fisting the air, but was empty-handed when he opened his palm.

He scowled. Stupid, freaking wind. He _deserved_ to be taller. Dammit.

Looking down for M'gann, he spotted her and gave an awkward wave. When he thought she had returned it, he looked ahead and started forth into the forest.

* * *

He stumbled through the forest for quite a while, listening intently. M'gann had said there were people in the forest, but so far, he hadn't heard, or saw, a thing to suggest she was right.

Skirting around a bush covered in polka dot berries, Dick found a dirt road in his path. He toed it cautiously (you never knew in this place...), then stepped forward. He was grateful for the path, but suddenly he felt much more exposed. He went forth cautiously.

Eventually, he came to a fork in the road, marked by a sign.

"The March Hare," he mumbled, looking at the left sign, "or The Mad Hatter...?" he said, looking to the right.

He frowned. How did the book go? Weren't they supposed to be together? He couldn't remember...

"Lost your way again?"

He didn't even bother looking around. "Cheshire."

"You."

"Are you going to tell me which way to go, or are you just here to taunt me like usual?"

Dick stayed still, only flinching slightly, when arms languidly draped around him from behind and a chest pushed against his back. "Weeeell, that depends."

He tried to look over his shoulder. "Let me guess, on right and left?"

"Or right and wrong? No, not at all. On what you want. You see, that way," he pointed to the right, "is a dangerous road. While that way," he pointed to the left, "is a sad road." The heat against his back disappeared as Cheshire backed off, leaping up to his perch in the trees. Dick turned around.

"I'm not afraid of danger."

"So you'll go right?"

Hesitantly, Dick nodded, and Cheshire leaned back, reclining on a branch. "That's probably for the best. It's a lot easier to face danger than it is sadness."

Dick narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to say I'm taking the easy way out?"

"I don't blame you...except for when I do blame you. But right now I don't. Or I do. Both roads lead to the same place, did I mention?"

With a groan, Dick turned around, heading toward the March Hare road. "So what? Does that mean there's going to be sadness and danger, no matter which path I choose?"

"Yes," Cheshire answered, so quiet Dick could barely hear him. Surprised at the tone, Dick turned back around, but the enigmatic teen was already gone.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, he faced forward and continued down the road to the March Hare, contemplating Cheshire's words.

* * *

**Not to give anything away, but I think the next chapter is the one ya'll have been waiting for. =P So look forward to it, haha!  
For those of you who have only seen the Disney film, I don't believe the Cook and the Duchess are mentioned (if memory serves). Basically, in the book, Alice finds a house where a angry Duchess lives with her Cook, who uses far too much pepper, making everyone sneeze. The pepper upsets the Duchess' baby, causing it to cry. The Duchess yells at it for being a horrible, noisy child, and then somehow the kid turns into a pig. I think. It's been a few years since I read the book, and I'm far too tired to look it up, so bear with me, lol.  
Also, just wanna clear this up, Artemis was NOT the Dormouse. In the book, there is another mouse, who tells Alice a very long, very boring tale (the tale takes the shape of a mousetail on the page; it's quite fantastic). The Dormouse will be appearing as a separate, non-Artemis character. XD So uh, look forward to it?  
Okay, I'm done rambling. Everybody go review! **


	5. A Right Fine Tea Party

**I met the Batman.  
Seriously, haha. I popped by the European Premiere of the Dark Knight Rises, not expecting to see anything, and ended up getting Christian Bale and Tom Hardy's autographs. I also saw Christopher Nolan and some other, non-Batman related stars (such as Prince Harry, haha). Some ladies asked us to pose for a breast cancer photo wearing pink batman masks and we did, and they let us keep the masks. That's what I had Christian and Bale sign. Once I'm back in the states, I gotta get a showcase or something for this baby. =P  
I'm sorry for the delay though. I was in Ireland and Wales for a little bit with no computer access, and life has pretty much just been nonstop. However! This is likely the second to last chapter, so soon you won't have to put up with my crap anymore, lol.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Young Justice, I probably would have been invited to the premiere and could have watched the movie instead of standing outside in the rain next to the red carpet, haha.**

* * *

Dick was hearing voices.

In fact, he'd been hearing voices for quite a bit, but he couldn't get to them because his dress kept getting caught on a bunch of stupid bushes.

Giving a violent tug, he stumbled out of a bush and, with a slight yelp, tumbled backwards to the ground.

His eyes automatically shut at the impact and he reopened them to find brilliant, familiar green eyes staring back at him.

"Well hello! What do we have here!"

Wally was looking at him upside-down and he quickly scrambled around him, straddling his body with his feet and bending over at the waist to look closely at his face.

"Wally?" He would have cried if Batman hadn't trained him not to. "Wally!" he yelled out, grabbing the other's face and smashing their lips together. Wally made a small noise of surprise, then eagerly returned the kiss. Relieved at the reciprocation, Dick wrapped his arms around his neck, smiling into the kiss. Finally, someone who knew him! Of course it would be Wally! He probably followed him to this weird world to try to help him escape!

Wally pulled away, gasping for breath, then, grinning widely, stood up, still standing over him.

Paling slightly, the grin faded from Dick's face as he noticed his boyfriend's appearance. He was wearing yellow shorts, a red lapel jacket, underneath of which was a white dress shirt with the collar popped, and a yellow bow tie that was tied unevenly. On top of his head dangled two large, floppy orange ears, not entirely unlike the pair Barry had.

"Oi, Hatter! I found a really cute girl! I think she likes me!"

"I'm a guy!" Dick yelled, twisting around beneath him so he was on his stomach, then wiggling forward. The quicker he could get away, the better. He didn't want to talk to Wonderland Wally. He wanted _his_ Wally. Not this...imposter.

Apparently though, this Wally had his own ideas. He grabbed Dick's hips, holding him still.

"Scratch the cute girl part, Hatter! I meant to say I found a suuuuper hot guy! And I think _he_ likes me!" Wally got on his hands and knees on top of him and leaned down so his face was next to Dick's. "Hiya. I'm the March Hare, pleased to meet ya. I like your dress."

Growling, Dick bucked, pushing up with his back and struggling until Wally got the hint and got off him. As soon as he was up, Wally ran to Dick's front and grabbed his hands, pulling him up in one swift movement. Before he could get his bearings straight, Wally pulled at his hands, forcing Dick to spin in a circle with him.

"What are you-"

"I love running, don't you! It's great!" Wally interrupted, "My friends and I are having a tea party, it's great too! Wanna join? You could sit next to me."

Dick was doing his best not to stumble at the fast pace they were moving. "Uh, I don't really have time. I'm going to see the King and-"

"The King! My uncle works for him! He's not going anywhere, trust me!" Wally interrupted again, coming to a sudden halt. Dick lurched to the side but Wally yanked him forward and caught him, holding him close to his chest. "And besides, there's always time for tea time! Come on!" he said, grinning down at him. Still holding his hand, Wally ran forward, dragging Dick behind him. They reached a thicket and Wally stopped, turning around abruptly. Dick nearly crashed into him.

"Ladies first!" he said exuberantly, pushing Dick toward the hedge. Dick scowled.

"I'm _not_ a girl," he snapped, fighting against him.

"I know, I know. I meant hot guys first, but ladies sounded more formal. You understand, right?" Not waiting for an answer, he shoved Dick through the hedge, jumping through after him.

Dick lurched forward, about to fall, but Wally grabbed the bow of his apron and pulled him back up, then, grabbing his hand again, dragged him into the clearing. Dick felt like he was getting whiplash.

"Hatter! Dormouse! Lookit!" Wally threw an arm around Dick's shoulders and pressed him to his side, grinning widely. "A guest! He's cute! I like him."

Dick looked around the table, frowning slightly. There was a girl sitting on the right, but her head was slumped forward heavily. She had black hair, which was cut very short, and what looked like two gray mouse ears atop her head. She was wearing a long gray shirt, somewhat similar to Artemis' dress. Dick furrowed his eyebrows. It was hard to see her face, but she looked familiar...

"A guest! Wonderful! Welcome to our tea party! I'm Hatter, and this is Cheshire. You know March Hare of course. By the way, you pronounced his name wrong, March. Che-shire. No D. Honestly, we've been friends forever. I wonder about you sometimes."

"Sorry," Wally mumbled at his side, looking down.

Dick looked to the head of the table where the host of the party had stood to greet him and blinked owlishly. "Roy? I thought..." he looked over his shoulder toward the woods, as if he could find the Roy from before. He turned back around. "But I already...you were in the forest! With Green Arrow! And Cheshire," he glanced again at the girl, "That's not...I mean, Cheshire-"

He was cut off as Wally grabbed the back of his head and kissed him quickly, his lips making a loud "SMACK" sound before he pulled away, grinning. "Your lips are soft."

"Get off," Dick mumbled, pushing away from him gently and turning back toward Roy.

Unlike before, Roy now was without his mask. His yellow Speedy hat was replaced with a large hat similar to the one Jervis Tetch wore, except Roy's was gray with a black band. Instead of a red shirt and tights, he was wearing an oversized red and black checked, tweed jacket and gray slacks, and underneath the jacket he was wearing a black dress shirt which, like Wally's, had the collar popped, although his collar was orange. Around his neck was a bright yellow bow tie (unlike Wally, his was done correctly) with white polka dots, and he was also wearing small white gloves. Dick thought he looked a mess.

Roy didn't seem to notice Wally's little display of affection, still puzzling over Dick's words. "I was in the forest...with a green arrow? A riddle, of course! I love riddles! March, sit your friend down and pour him some tea! I like him! Let's see, a green arrow in a forest...why, it's a pine tree, right! Because they're pointed, like arrows! Did I get it?"

Dick let Wally sit him down, slightly perturbed. This Roy was..._weird_.

"Uh, yeah. Pine tree. Yup, you got it."

"Well of course I did! I'm a master at riddles, you know. Now let me think of one for you..hmm...oh! I know! Tell me, why is a raven like a writing desk?"

Dick frowned, thinking. This was in the book, wasn't it? He couldn't remember the answer, but no matter. He was _excellent_ at riddles. "A raven and a writing desk...is it, that Edgar Allan Poe wrote on both?"

Roy shook his head. "No, no, that's not it!"

Dick cupped his chin, thinking. "Okay...well, is it...because they both produce notes? But aren't musical?"

"Wrong again!"

Dick scowled, his pride slightly wounded. "Well...maybe it's an old writing desk, and the writer used a quill...in which case...is it because they both have inky quills?"

"Nope!"

"They both start with an 'r' sound...?" he guessed weakly, out of answers.

Roy shook his head.

"Fine, I give up!" Dick huffed, crossing his arms. "What's the answer?"

Roy shrugged, then poured himself a cup of tea. "Beats me."

Dick stared at him for a few seconds, incredulous, before turning his gaze to the table in front of him, coloring slightly with anger. That only lasted a moment though as his expression quickly turned to one of perplexity.

"Wally...what are you doing?"

Wally was lying on the table, kicking his legs as he pouring tea into the cup in front of Dick, despite that fact that it was already overflowing, staining the table cloth brown.

"Who's Wally?" Roy asked, frowning.

"I think it's his pet name for me," Wally said, pushing himself up so he could rub his nose against Dick's. "Isn't he cute?"

Dick pulled away. "Wally, sit down. And stop pouring the tea, you're making a mess," he chided, reaching for the pot. Wally pulled it out of his reach, placing it further down the table then sat down in the chair next to him, scootching it over so they were closer together.

"Sooo, we've all introduced ourselves. What's your name, beautiful?" he asked, leaning in close.

Dick looked at Wally's loving, grinning face, then turned to look at Roy, frowning. Jervis was known for mind control. Maybe everyone was under his control. But...if anyone would break through it, and recognize him..."Come on guys..." he tried to smile, but found it hurt to do so, "...it's _me_."

Wally laughed. "Me? That's a funny name! If I told someone I loved you, would I say, 'I love Me?' Ooh, ooh! Could I say, 'My favorite person is Me!'?" He laughed loudly and, not missing a beat, picked up Dick's cup and threw the contents over his shoulder, then set it down and refilled it, using a new pot.

Dick thought the action was weird, but was too dispirited to question his actions.

"So, Me, since you couldn't answer my riddle," Roy said, lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on them, "I think it's only fair you offer us some entertainment. Sing us a song!"

"But I did answer your-"

"Oooh yeah, sing a song, Me! I bet your voice is awesome!" Wally interrupted, flinging his tea behind him and refilling it. "You sure are drinking a lot...this is your fourth cup!"

Dick ignored him. "Uh, I'm not sure if I know any songs you'd like..."

"Don't be silly, silly!" Roy said, beaming at him (Dick cringed). "Just sing whatever pops into your head! Better be quick about it too! When things pop into your head, it's important to get them out. Poppings in the head is dangerous, you know!"

"Uh...okay, well..." Taking his advice, Dick opened his mouth and sang the very first thing to "pop" into his head.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little bat.

How I wonder what you're at.

Up above the world you fly,

Like a tea tray in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle, little bat.

How I wonder what you're at."

They both clapped, laughing loudly.

"That was great," Roy said, slapping a hand to the table and knocking over his tea, "I loved the part about the tea! In the sky! That's wonderful!"

"I loved the part where you opened your mouth and made sound," Wally said, propping his head up on his hand as he gazed at Dick, smitten. Without breaking eye contact, he picked up Dick's tea and dumped it, then refilled it, letting it spill over again.

"Wally, you're making a mess," he said, blushing as he reached again for the tea pot. Again, Wally pulled away, placing the pot out of reach.

Dick reached for his tea instead, intending to finally drink some, but Wally grabbed it away and dumped it. He immediately refilled it, using yet another pot, and leaned forward to kiss Dick's cheek as he did so.

Dick gave up, leaving the tea alone and trying his best to ignore Wally as he rained kisses along the entire side of his face. He stared at the girl across the table from him, trying to see her face.

His brows furrowed as he stared. "Zatanna...?"

Roy noticed his gaze and stood, coming to stand behind her. "This is Cheshire. He's a bit tired, I'm afraid. It's the cat in him. Always nap, nap, napping! Cat napping!" He put a hand on Zatanna's chin and held it up. Her eyes opened halfway and she stared at Dick with a lifeless, dull expression. Now that he was looking at her properly, he could tell how poorly her hair was cut. Someone could have done a better job with a butter knife.

"Roy...I mean, Hatter. I think you're mistaken. That's a girl...and she's clearly a mouse..."

Roy smiled widely, pressing his cheek against Zatanna's. "Nonsense! Cheshire is one of our very dearest dear dear friends! I'd never mistake him, isn't that right, March?"

"Uh yeah. That's absolutely right, Hatter," Wally said quietly, keeping his gaze down.

Dick looked between them, confused. "But, no, you're wrong. She's a-"

"He's a boy!" Roy screamed, throwing a tea pot at him. Dick and Wally both ducked, barely missing getting hit. "He's a boy, and he's the Cheshire Cat, and he's our very best friend who would never _ever_ leave, so stop lying!" he yelled. The table rattled as Roy smashed another pot against it. Next to him, Wally put a finger to his lips, then hesitantly straightened in his seat. Dick mimicked him, staying silent.

"That was the last pot...now I have to make more tea," Roy grumbled moodily, stomping away from the table and toward a cabinet. Dick watched him, noticing that the inside of the cabinet was filled with dozens upon dozens of tea pots. As he watched, Wally tugged on the sleeve of his dress. He turned to face him.

"Shhhh. You have to be quiet," he whispered, leaning close, "Listen, you need to leave. Now, while you can."

"Wally, what's wrong with, uh...her?"

"Her name is Dormouse. Hatter drugs the tea, to keep anyone from leaving. You see, we had this friend, Cheshire Cat. We, me and him I mean, we were really close...I think Hatter may have been jealous. But then, something happened to Cheshire. He started acting weird...and then he left, without a word. Hatter...didn't take it well," he said, looking to the ground, "He doesn't want anyone to ever leave him again. That's why I can't leave, to go find Cheshire..." he whispered, "I miss him a lot..."

Dick nodded slowly, taking it all in. "So, where does Dormouse fit into all this?"

Wally looked up, meeting his gaze. "Wrong place, wrong time. She stopped here, to ask for directions. She was with a mouse friend, and they got separated. She kinda...looks like Cheshire, a bit. Similar skin tone, same colored eyes and hair. She's a little taller, but otherwise they're about the same size. Hatter saw the resemblance and drugged her. He cut her hair short, like Cheshire's, and said he was finally back. That he would never let him leave again. Me," he cupped Dick's face, pulling him forward so their foreheads were touching, "Please leave. While you can."

Dick pulled away gently."Wally, I..." And then it hit him. What had Artemis said? She was looking for another mouse...with black hair, and light skin... "Zatanna..." he mumbled, looking across the table.

"Me?" Wally questioned, tugging at his dress again. Dick ignored him.

"You're the friend. Artemis'... Miss Mouse, I mean..."

Slowly, Zatanna looked up. "Miss...Mouse..."

"Me, Me, don't, you don't know what you're doing," Wally whispered, tugging harder on his sleeve.

"No! No, they're friends! Miss Mouse is still looking for her! I need to help them, Wally. They're my friends...your friends!"

"Me...Me, please..."

Roy was at the stove across from the cabinet, watching a kettle. He turned around, annoyed. "What are you all yelling about? The tea is almost done, calm down. Me, sing another song."

Zatanna's eyes opened wide and she stood up suddenly. Roy turned fully around, startled.

"Cheshire? Cheshire, dear, what are you doing?" he said, taking a cautious step forward, "Sit down, the tea is almost done, don't worry."

She backed away from him, knocking over her chair. "No...Miss Mouse. I need to find Miss Mouse. No...no!" she screamed, turning and dashing from the table. Roy lunged toward her, quickly catching up and grabbing her by the waist, lifting her off the ground. She kicked, screaming hysterically for Miss Mouse.

"March! Get the tea, quick! Now!"

Wally stood and ran to the stove, where the kettle was, and, standing, Dick followed. Before Wally could reach the stove, Dick grabbed his arm and wheeled him around. "Wally, stop! What are you doing! We need to help her!"

"Me, run! I've got this!" Wally said, pulling away, "Please, run. Right now!" He pushed Dick away and grabbed the kettle, running to Roy.

"Hurry up, March! Dammit!"

Ripping the lid off the pot, Wally threw the tea in Roy's face.

The other howled in pain, letting go of Zatanna. She shot away but, blindly, Roy lashed out and managed to grab the back of her shirt. He yanked her back violently, wrapping an arm around her neck. With his free hand, he wiped the tea from his face and grabbed his bow-tie, ripping it off.

"Me, come on!" Wally yelled, pulling at his arm. Dick stumbled after him, caught off guard, but then came to a halt.

"Wally, no! Zatanna!"

He watched in horror as Roy squeezed her jaw, forcing her mouth open. Distantly, Dick realized she was crying as she thrashed against him. Roy held the bow-tie against her mouth, squeezing it so that the tea it absorbed dripped into her mouth.

"Roy, no!" Dick ran forward and Wally grabbed his waist, holding him back.

"Sorry babe," he said, picking the younger boy up and throwing him over his shoulder. He turned and ran through the hedge, out into the forest. The last thing Dick saw before the hedge obscured his view was Zatanna's body going limp in Roy's grasp, as he gently pet her hair. "Shh, shh, Cheshire. It's okay, I'm here. We're _friends_. You'll be fine..."

Only seconds later, they both heard Roy's outraged screams ripping through the forest, calling for the March Hare. Furious, Dick opened his mouth to scream at Wally to go back, but stopped when the other tightened his grip on his waist.

It took him a few minutes to realize Wally was crying.

He kept quiet and, together, they barreled through the forest.

* * *

Wally ran until he was close to collapsing. Slowing to a stop, he gently put Dick down, immediately turning to wipe at his eyes.

"Wally..." Hesitantly, he put a hand on the other's shoulder. Wally turned to face him, eyes rimmed red but tear free, and offered a small smile.

"I'm sorry I couldn't take you farther, Me. If I was more like my uncle..." His ears drooped. "But I'm just a hare..."

Dick looked around until he spotted a large pink mushroom. He reached for Wally's hand, but the other pulled away with a wince.

"Sorry..." he mumbled, "It's just...the pot..."

Taking his hand more gently, Dick turned it over so the palm was facing upward. The skin was scalded a violent reddish purple. Letting go, he grabbed Wally by the arm instead and led him to the mushroom, forcing him sit down on the cap to rest. Kneeling in front of him, he ripped off part of his skirt and, ripping the sliver in two, started bandaging his hands.

"I don't have any ointment, but this should help a little. You'll have to be careful with them until they heal completely." Once both hands were bandaged, he reached around Wally's legs and ripped a handful off the oversized mushroom cap, handing it to his boyfriend's doppelganger.

"Eat this," he ordered softly, resting his arms on the other's kneecaps.

Wally obliged with a nod. "Thanks..."

Dick made a small humming noise of acknowledgment. "Your uncle," Dick said after a while, watching him eat, "He's the Blond Rabbit, right?"

Wally nodded, swallowing. "Uh-huh. He's the fastest in all of Wonderland. Which is great and all, but...well," he finished the mushroom and gave an abashed smile, averting his eyes, "It's kind of hard to compare, you know?"

When Wally was upset, he longed for human contact. Figuring March Hare was the same, Dick crawled into his lap, wrapping his arms around his neck.

"I don't know if this is any consolation, but hares are faster than rabbits." Zoology 101, with Alfred, in the downstairs library. First summer at Wayne Manor. "Just give it time. He's just older, is all," Dick said with a gentle smile. This wasn't _his_ Wally. Of course he could never love this version, but...being nice wouldn't hurt anyone.

Smiling, Wally wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, careful to keep his hands from touching, and kissed his temple, then buried his face against his neck. "You're so adorable. You remind me of...never mind," he mumbled, gently kissing his neck. Dick's skin broke out in goosebumps.

They stayed that way for a while, sitting together in companionable silence, until finally Wally lifted his head. "I have to go back."

Dick leaned back. "Wally..."

He looked away. "Me...I know it seems awful," he laughed bitterly, "Okay, it _is_ awful. But Hatter...I'm all he has left, you know? This probably sounds crazy to you, but he's my friend...he always will be. And who knows? Maybe one day, Cheshire will come back. And he'll let Dormouse go. Everything can go back to how it was." He turned to face him, offering a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "And maybe, if that happens, you could come visit me and stuff. You're kind of...really something else. It'd suck to never see you again."

Dick smiled back, nodding. "I don't think it sounds crazy Wally...I understand perfectly." Unsure if what he was doing was right or not, he hesitantly leaned forward and chastely brushed his lips against fake-Wally's. "I hope everything works out."

Wally nodded once and Dick climbed off him, grabbing his arm and helping him up. Once they were both standing, Wally pulled him in for a tight hug goodbye.

"Be careful, Me," he said, pulling back, "The castle should be that way," he pointed with his whole hand out into the forest, "but...well, Uncle Blond Rabbit hasn't always had the best things to say about the King and Queen. So watch your back."

Dick smiled, holding his fist up. "Thanks. Same goes for you."

Returning the smile, Wally loosely curled his fingers and gently bumped them against Dick's. "See you around, babe."

"Yeah. See you, Wally."

Dick stood where he was, watching as the other turned away from him and started back the way they came, ears flopping up and down as he ran.

Before he knew it, Wally was out of sight, and he was alone.

* * *

Dick hadn't been walking long when he spotted a large tree up ahead, a familiar figure reclining in its branches. Slowly, he approached it, stopping once he was at the foot of the tree.

"Cheshire."

The other kept his gaze toward the skies. "The sad parts are worse than the dangerous ones, right? Just like I said."

Dick didn't answer, watching him silently for a moment. Curious about his silence, Cheshire glanced down. "Cat got your tongue?" He put a hand to the mouth of his mask, idly rubbing the painted teeth. "Hmm, maybe, but I don't think so. I don't feel anything extra, and I don't remember going into your mouth," he frowned contemplatively, "Then again, maybe I will. If you're will and I'm do, then it's possible...but unlikely," he turned so he was on his stomach, "So what is then? Feeling a little left, maybe? You're not crying, are you?"

"I'm not," Dick answered stiffly, hands balling into fists at his side, "Why did you leave?"

Cheshire stared, piercing Dick with the unblinking gaze of the black caverns of his mask that served for eyes.

Receiving no answer, Dick continued, taking a small step forward. "Wally needs you...and Roy. Zatanna's trapped there, because of you! Why don't you go back!"

Cheshire turned, lying on his back again so he could gaze at the branches above him. "Someone like _you _couldn't understand."

Dick gritted his teeth. "You'd be surprised what I'd understand, Cheshire."

The other gave a loud, sharp laugh. "Is that so? You think your life is _sooo_ hard, don't you? You don't have a clue."

"Wally misses you. He told me so."

He thought Cheshire may have flinched, but he wasn't certain. "Oh? And when was that? When you were throwing yourself at him in the woods? He's _not_ Wally, you know. He's the March Hare."

Dick colored slightly, scowling. "Look-"

"No, you look!" Cheshire interrupted, dropping down from his branch to stand in front of Dick. He took a step forward and Dick mirrored the movement, backing up. "I _had_ to leave. I couldn't let them see..." he put a hand to his face and, for a moment, Dick thought he was going to take the mask off, "...and I still can't!" he yelled, dropping his hand from his face to make a fist at his side. "I can't go back yet! Not like this!"

Dick watched him uneasily. "Cheshire...what are you talking about? What's wrong? Why can't you go back?"

"Wally...March...he would never accept me like this. My friends..." He looked up at Dick, the grin of his mask menacing in the light filtering through the trees. "Not like _you_," he spat, "Always fitting in...everyone loves you, do you know that? Do you even realize!"

"Cheshire..." he took a step forward, extending a hand toward the other.

"March told you to watch your back, Dick. Better listen."

Startled, Dick turned around, half expecting Roy, but saw nothing. He turned back. "What-"

But Cheshire was nowhere to be seen. "You're almost there, Dick!" his voice called from the treetops. Dick looked up, spinning in a circle as he tried to spot the other boy. "Just keep going straight!"

Realizing he wasn't going to find Cheshire in the trees, Dick sighed and, with a final look behind him, he started walking forward.

* * *

**For the record, I made my notes about there being two Roys well before YJ introduced the whole Roy clone thing. So obviously DC was ripping off my notes that they stole by hacking into my laptop (now if only they would rip off the parts of my stories were Dick and Wally are being sickeningly adorable to each other and sucking face...). I was going for a Speedy vs Red Arrow approach, but I suppose the clone things works just the same...  
I'm very curious to know how you all feel about this chapter, as the tone is quite different. So you should all review. And tell me. Speak your mind, dudes. Tell me how you feeeel. =P**


	6. The Trial

**Omgosh, this is the last chapter! D= I feel like I've been working on this story forever, yet it feels like it ended so quickly! I hope it's been enjoyable for everyone, and that you like this chapter as much as the others. A big thanks to everyone who has reviewed and favorited this so far! I love you all!  
Also, I'd like to give a huuuuuuge thank you to Awesometastical1****01 for creating the cover for this story! Isn't it perfect? Obviously this image is smaller, so please, if you'd like to see the full image (you dooooo!) go to my profile! I've provided a link to the full version, as well as a lovely picture she made me of Dick in his dress! =3  
I'd also like to give a ginourmous thank you to my spendiforous beta, ********rachello344**, who has seen me through this whole story. I'm so grateful for all she's done. This story would be a much less pleasant read without her.   
**Well folks, this is it. Prepare yourselves, cause it's a long one. Might want to pee beforehand. Maybe grab a snack or something. ;P**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice. If I did, Nightwing and KidFlash would be roomies and Tim, Conner, and Bart would be well into their bromance by now.**

* * *

Cheshire hadn't lied.

Almost immediately after parting with the riddling feline, he noticed a slight thinning of trees in the area. After barely any time at all, the edge of the forest came into view and, elated, he sprinted toward his exit, eager to be back in the sun.

Bursting into the clearing, Dick quickly stretched, carefully massaging his shoulder while he looked around. The clearing wasn't normal, that was for certain. The grass was too well kept for that. In front of him was a hedge, not incredibly tall but just tall enough that he couldn't see over it, even on tiptoe. He walked along its perimeter for a bit, looking for an end, before growing impatient and pushing his way through it. After a good deal of struggling (it was a thick hedge), he emerged on the other side to find himself faced with another hedge. He raised an eyebrow.

He looked to the right. There was a path, then, in the distance, both hedges turned, making a corner.

He looked to the left. Same thing.

He was in a freaking maze.

"This is _so_ not asterous..." he mumbled, stepping forward and feeling the hedge in front of him. They were way too flimsy too climb over...he'd just fall in. Sighing, he turned left and walked to the end, turning the corner. He walked the next path, taking a right turn, then, after a short walk, took another left turn. He met a dead end.

"Screw this," he grumbled, stepping into the hedge and pushing his way through the branches. It was slow work, but, hedge by hedge, he began pushing his way through the maze.

After going through several rows, he came to a small, square clearing and paused to pick the leaves out of his hair, figuring he had reached the center.

Glancing around cautiously (last time he was in a maze he got shot...somehow...so best to be safe), he crossed the tiny patch of grass. As he reached the exact center, he noticed something on the grass and bent down to examine it.

There was something red staining the grass. It was far too bright to be blood though. Reaching down, he ran a fingertip over the spot, leaving a faint red residue on his finger. Whatever it was, it was almost dry.

He brought his finger to his nose and sniffed it, raising an eyebrow. "Paint? Who brings paint through a maze...?"

He heard a noise to his right and glanced over. The sight before him left his mouth slightly agape.

Marching toward him, in a 2 of spades card...costume thing, was Alfred. Behind him was a 9 of diamonds worn by...Alfred? Dick leaned back a little, observing the rest of the line. There were about 20 Alfreds, all dressed like various playing cards, marching toward him in a single file line. They were each carrying a bucket of paint, and a brush.

The line stopped in front of him, the 2 of spades Alfred glancing down at him.

"Excuse me, sir, might I ask what you're doing here?"

Dick stood, taking in the older man's facial features with a sudden lurch of home sickness.

"I'm, uh...hey! You knew I was a boy?" he asked, elated. Alfred nodded stiffly.

"Indeed, sir. I'm an old card, and I've seen enough of the world to tell the difference between a girl and...a boy in a dress."

Dick colored slightly, smiling sheepishly. "I don't usually wear a dress."

"Of course you don't. Now, if you would kindly step aside, we really must be on our way."

Dick moved to Alfred's side, walking next to him as they entered the second half of the maze. He looked back at the other Alfreds, finding them looking at him just as curiously, before returning his attention to the first one. "You know the way through the maze?"

Alfred kept his head facing forward as he answered, "Of course, sir. This is the garden entrance. As gardeners, we must be able to get through the entrance."

Dick smiled, amused. "You're gardeners?"

"Part time."

They lapsed into silence as they traveled along the path, never once hitting a dead end. It was comfortable, walking with Alfred. For the first time since entering Wonderland, Dick felt like he could relax a little bit.

Eventually, they reached the exit and Dick found himself standing before a courtyard covered in large bushes. At first, Dick thought they were covered with yellow flowers, but as he got closer he realized there were actually several dozen yellow chested birds. Western Yellow Robins, by the look of it (Zoology 102, Alfred, downstairs library, second summer).

The Alfreds split up, dividing into groups of three and each group heading to a different tree. Dick stayed with the same Alfred he'd walked with as he went with his group to their own tree, setting their paint buckets on the ground and dipping their brushes in the cans. The brushes all came out red.

"What are you doing?" Dick asked. He made a startled noise as all three Alfreds plucked a bird out of the tree with their bare hands and began painting the poor creatures' chests red. The robins chirped frantically, but otherwise, didn't put up any struggle.

"We are painting the robins red, sir. You see, the Queen of Hearts is quite fond of robins, and ordered us to plant these robin trees in the main garden. However, the trees we ordered turned out to be yellow robins, and the Queen prefers red. So we're correcting the problem."

"Robin trees...?" he questioned, staring sympathetically at the bird as Alfred returned it to its perch. He reached up to stroke its head but, while it didn't budge from where it stood, it tucked its head down, cowering. Dick lowered his hand without touching it.

"Quite right, sir. Robin trees."

"Isn't this a little... I don't know. Cruel? To the robins?"

All three Alfreds paused in their work to glance at him, then wordlessly began painting once more.

Hesitantly, Dick walked away from the tree. The 2 of spades Alfred noticed his departure and paused in his work.

"Sir?"

Dick looked back. "Yes?"

"You never answered my initial question. What, may I ask, are you doing here?"

He was starting to wonder himself. What were the chances the King, Queen, or Jack could help him? It seemed unlikely, thinking about it. "I'm here to see the King and Queen. I was told they might be able to help me."

"I see..." Alfred answered, "You'll want to head that way then," he instructed, pointing across the garden, "About 800 paces."

"Uh, thank you," he said, nodding slightly as he headed in the given direction.

"No thanks necessary, sir," Alfred said behind him, returning to painting the birds.

Soon, Dick passed all the robin trees, leaving the Alfreds behind him.

* * *

Approximately 800 paces later, Dick found himself standing in front of a large, iron gate.

Through the gate, he could see the castle, which was previously hidden by the large hedges. He pressed his face against the bars, getting a closer look. There was a path leading to the castle...just a simple dirt path. But framing the path wasn't grass, it was...He squinted, trying to make it out. It was something shiny, in any case. It kind of looked like glass.

The gate was large so Dick had to use his entire body to move it, and the hinges creaked as it stubbornly swung open. He frowned judgmentally at it. Wonderland had _several _Alfreds, and they couldn't even keep their castle in as prime condition as his _one_ Alfred could.

His Alfred was better.

Not bothering to close the gate behind him, Dick cautiously walked forward, glancing at the ground off the path. Getting on his hands and knees, he bent down to inspect it, eyebrows furrowed.

It was...Gotham. He put his hand out, placing his palm on the cool glass. There was a glass pane, and underneath it was a miniature Gotham, shown from above. Leaning back so he was sitting on his heels, he pivoted a little so he could see the other side. More Gotham. His eyes swept over the scene, picking out key places. There was his school, Wayne Manor, the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge...

He stood and walked forward a bit, moving slowly so he could observe the city below. He passed crime alley, Gotham Stadium, and then Arkham Asylum, transitioning out of upper Gotham and into the central area. There was the Wayne Botanical Garden and the Reservoir, followed by Robinson Park and City Hall (the sight of which meant he had found lower Gotham). After a short while, he managed to find the clock tower and Wayne tower. Stopping as he approached them, he leaned down a little to better look at the buildings. It was hard to judge, since it was a bird's eye view, but they looked like perfect replicas.

Curious, Dick placed a foot on the glass, pressing down to see if his weight would be supported. When he was more confident, he stepped out over the replica city. Immediately, he heard a series of loud, piercing shrieks. Covering his ears with a grimace, he whipped around, searching out the source of the sound. Seeing nothing in view, he glanced down, and found himself face to face with a sea of colorless, screaming faces.

It only took him an instant to recognize a handful of the bodies. There was Bane, Catwoman, Penguin, Riddler, Two-Face, and dozens more of Gotham's most wanted.

Dick turned to run just as a hand broke through the glass, grabbing his ankle. He pulled free, losing a shoe in the process, but more hands emerged, shattering the glass around him and groping for any part of him they could reach and tearing his clothes. Before the glass shattered entirely, he managed to struggle his way back to the path, kicking and crushing hands as he sunk his fingers into the dirt and pulled himself away from the deathly looking bodies. With a final lunge, he managed to get his whole body on the path, eyes closing as he smacked roughly into the dirt. Nothing followed him, but when he opened his eyes he found himself staring into the pit on the other side of the path, making perfect eye contact with Poison Ivy.

Around her, he could see Clayface, Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, Deadshot, and the Ventriloquist. Floating next to him in the sea of bodies was his dummy, Scarface.

Ivy's hand burst through the glass, grabbing the front of his dress.

"Raaaaaahhh," she hissed, wrapping her hand around his throat, "biiiiiiiin." She continued saying his name as she tightened her grip, the volume of her voice strengthening until she was screaming. The villains around her followed suit, breaking through the glass while issuing forth a shrieking chant of "Robin, Robin, Robin."

Ripping her hand off him, Dick bit it and, while she shrieked in pain, he hastily stood and stumbled forward, running along the path toward the castle.

Soon, the doors appeared, along with two Alfred cards who were guarding it. Dick ran as fast as he could, stopping only once he reached them.

"Alfred! Alfred, we have to get inside! Open the doors!" he yelled, panting heavily.

Both Alfreds raised an eyebrow. "You _want_ to go inside, sir? What an odd request."

"Odd?" Dick asked incredulously. "Don't you see-" He turned around and found himself facing a dirt path, on each side of which was a plain of healthy, trimmed grass. He turned back around. "What...where...I don't..." He turned around once more, then looked back to the Alfreds. "There was..."

"I'm sure there was, sir. Now, if you'd kindly come with us," the two stepped forward and each grabbed one of his arms, "I'm afraid we have orders to place you under arrest."

"Arrest? What?" Dick asked as the doors before them opened, revealing four more Alfreds. The two holding him dragged him forward, leading him inside.

"Indeed, sir. Your trial awaits you," the one on the left said.

"Trial?" Dick asked, staring at the face of his beloved butler with wide, confused eyes.

Behind him, the doors slammed shut.

* * *

Alfred or not, Dick's first instinct when being forcibly held was to make it so he was _not_ being held, and it took a total of seven Alfreds to drag him into the next room.

They brought him into a sort of courtroom. There was a small audience before them, but Dick ignored them for the moment, focusing on the front of the room, where there was a large platform. On it, three people sat side by side in matching gold thrones topped with a red crystal heart. All three of them were wearing long red robes and gold, ruby encrusted crowns, and had white, porcelain masks over the top half of their faces. Dick guessed they were the King, Queen, and Jack.

He stopped struggling and let the various Alfreds hold him in place as he observed the courtroom. To the right of the royal trio stood a figure wearing a hooded green robe, holding a large scythe. Dick couldn't see his face.

On the right side of the room there was a box filled with more Alfreds...the jury, Dick could only presume, even though a jury that was technically only one person large was hardly a jury at all, he thought. In the center of the room there were two slightly raised, boxed in platforms sitting parallel to one another.

The door he had come through opened and Dick did his best to look back at it. Cheshire entered the room, flanked by two Alfreds but, unlike Dick, he was not being restrained.

"Cheshire...? Cheshire, what's going on?"

"Please, sir, we must ask that you remain silent." An Alfred said, jostling him a bit.

Cheshire glanced his way, but then turned his attention to the front.

The door opened again, this time with a slam accompanied by a series of shouts.

"Uncle Blond Rabbit, let me go! I need to get back to Hatter! You don't understand!"

Dick whipped around so fast he actually tore free from one of the Alfreds, but his arms were immediately grabbed again, albeit a bit rougher this time.

"I'm sorry March, but rules are rules...look, maybe things will be okay..."

Wally kicked and struggled as he entered the room, held completely off the ground by his uncle as he was brought to the front. As they went past, Cheshire turned his head, looking away from the scene.

"Wally!"

Wally looked back, eyes widening when he spotted Dick. "Babe, what are you...? Woah, hey! You cards, get your hands off him! Just you wait til-ow, ow! Watch it, Uncle BR! What are you-"

His tirade was cut off as Barry hoisted him over the box and deposited him unceremoniously inside. A few people in the audience laughed.

"We've been waiting, Blond Rabbit," the Queen said, "You usually do not take this long."

Barry laughed sheepishly. "Heh, yeah sorry. March here's _always_ with his friends, so I checked Hatter's uh..._place _first, but he had actually left, so I had to go find him in the woods. Plus he's a tough one to catch! Fast, just like his uncle!" Barry bragged, ruffling Wally's hair. Wally stared at him, wide eyed.

"Very well. We may now begin the trial," the King said, turning to look at Wally. Barry hopped out of the way, going to stand at the bottom of the royalty's stand. "March Hare," the King boomed, "You have been accused of first degree narcissism. How do you plead?"

Wally's ears flattened. "Uh, who's accusing me...?"

True enough, the box where the plaintiff should have been was empty.

"That is unimportant!" the Queen said, leaning forward, "How do you plead?"

Wally shifted uncomfortably. "Innocent?"

The audience murmured as Dick turned to Cheshire, scowling. "Cheshire! What's going on? What do they want with Wally? What do they want with me!"

Cheshire glanced at him, then looked down. "Stop talking, Dick. There's nothing either of us can do so just...stop talking."

"Tell us, March Hare, do you love yourself?"

Dick turned his attention back up front. "What kind of trial is this? This doesn't make any sense..."

"Uh, I..." Wally took a step back, bumping into the back of the box. He looked like he was trying to shrink into himself. "No? No, I don't. I don't love myself. I mean, I'm cool, I guess, but I don't-"

"March Hare," the Queen interrupted, "tell the jury, who _do_ you love?"

Wally blushed slightly, rubbing his arm. "Who do I..? Heh. Oh, um. Well. I love..." He grew quiet, staring intently at the floor. "I love Che-"

Out of his peripherals, Dick saw Cheshire start, taking a small step forward.

Wally shook his head, then, standing up straighter, answered, "I love Me. I love Me and..."

Glancing to the side, Dick saw that Cheshire's hand was shaking.

"And...no, just Me. I love Me, and Me alone."

"Wally..." Dick breathed, pulling forward just as Cheshire took a step back. The Alfreds held him back.

"Very well then! Jury!" the King asked, turning to face the box of Alfreds. One Alfred stood.

"We the jury find the defendant, March Hare, guilty of first degree narcissism!"

"What?" Wally yelled, turning to face them.

"Off with his head!" the Queen ordered, standing. The audience started talking adamantly, excited by the order.

The green hooded figure came forward, pulling back his hood to reveal the face of Ra's Al Ghul. He approached Wally's box, scythe raised.

"No!" Dick yelled, all seven Alfreds having to restrain him as he tried to run forward. "You don't understand! Me is-"

He was cut off as Ra's swung his weapon, cutting off Wally's head before the boy could even scream. A hush fell over the room as his head fell away from his body, hitting the railing and dropping out of the box. His body slumped against the back wall, crumpling into a bloody heap.

Dick screamed, fighting off the Alfreds. More appeared from seemingly nowhere, holding him back as he began crying. To his left, Cheshire's shoulders were shaking, but otherwise he stayed quiet.

Three more Alfreds came through the door, marching to the defendant box. Together, two picked up Wally's body while the third scooped up his head. Wordlessly, they marched out.

Dick stopped struggling as they passed, watching silently. The Alfreds holding him tried to push him forward and he stumbled, having to be caught before he hit the ground. One picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder and marching him up front.

"Wally? Alfred...Alfred," he dug his hands into the card's back, trying to pull away. "Alfred, I don't...Wally is...I don't understand. Alfred. Alfred, Wally is..."

"My name is Four of Hearts, sir, if it's me you're referring too. Please watch your garment," he ordered, lifting Dick over the box walls and carefully depositing him inside. Dick watched the Alfreds march away then looked down at the puddle of blood he was standing it. He had put his hands on the railing when Alfred had let him go and, lifting them now, he realized his palms were smeared with Wally's blood. He took a step back and slipped in the fluid beneath him, smacking against the front wall and getting his stockings covered in blood. Turning to lean against the railing, Dick dry heaved, his whole body shaking violently.

Once he felt he was done, he looked up and his eyes landing on a pale faced Barry Allen. Barry looked away.

"Uncle B...Wally...how could you?" he wheezed, coughing, "He's your nephew!"

Barry glanced quickly toward him. "Look kid, I'm just doing my job..."

"He loves you! His dad is never...You're his everything! Barry would never betray him! You're not real! None of this is real!" he yelled, tears flowing down his cheeks. Angrily, he brought a hand up to wipe them away and accidentally smeared Wally's blood on his cheeks, forgetting the state of his palms.

"Order in the court! Order in the court!" the Queen yelled.

Cheshire had come forward of his own accord to stand in the box next to him, jumping over the wall without assistance.

The Queen had sat back down. "Defendant, please state your name for the court."

Dick swallowed, trying not to heave again. "It's Dick. I mean, Richard. Richard Grayson."

"Liar!" Cheshire spat, gripping his railing. Dick turned to look at him, eyes rimmed in red.

"What?" he asked wearily.

"Order in the court!" the King yelled, slamming a hand down on his armrest. The sound echoed through the room.

"Richard Grayson," the Queen said calmly, "the Cheshire Cat has accused you of identity theft. How do you plead?"

Dick furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "Innocent, your honor."

"He's guilty!" Cheshire snapped, "His name is Robin, and he stole my name _and_ my identity! Just look!" he cried, ripping off his mask. Underneath the mask, Cheshire's face was carved off, leaving nothing but the raw, exposed meat beneath. His eyes were sharply exposed, and there were maggots crawling over the skinned area.

Dick leaned over the rail and dry heaved again, his feet sliding in the blood beneath him so that he had to support himself with his arms.

Cheshire pointed to him. "He stole my face. Go ahead and check. Take his face off."

Ra's Al Ghul took a step forward, brandishing his scythe, and Dick leaned away from the railing, wiping at his mouth. "No," he choked out, stumbling backwards, "No, I demand a fair trial."

"He's right," the Jack said, speaking up for the first time, "Justice must be served."

"The Jack of Hearts is right. We must be fair. The trial will proceed. To determine which of you is the real Richard Grayson, you both will be asked questions concerning your identity."

"First question," the Queen said, "who is your best friend?"

"Wally West," Dick answered without hesitation.

"Barbara Gordon," Cheshire answered, "Who I'd like to call to the stand."

"The defense has called Miss Barbara Gordon. Miss Gordon?" the King said, looking out at the audience.

From the center of the crowd, Babs stood. Her turtle shell was gone, and she was wearing her school uniform.

She walked forward and Barry helped her into a smaller box connected to the main platform.

"Miss Gordon," the Queen asked sweetly, "Are you Richard Grayson's best friend? Remember, if you lie, the penalty is death."

Babs nodded. "Yes, your highness. Dick Grayson is my very best friend. Wally is Dick's boyfriend. They haven't even been dating long though...definitely not long enough to be close."

"So, you're saying there's no way Wally West would be Dick Grayson's best friend, instead of you?"

She shook her head. "No possible way. I'm Dick's only best friend."

"Wait, that's not fair. Babs doesn't know-"

"Thank you, Miss Gordon," the King interrupted, "You may step down."

Barry helped her back to her seat. As she was walking between the platforms, she stopped and looked up at Cheshire, placing a hand on the railing. "I've missed you, Dick..."

Cheshire put a hand over hers. "I've missed you too, Babs..."

She continued walking and Dick watched her, leaning against the railing. "Babs! Babs, no..."

"Dick, Cheshire Cat," the Queen said, "Answer me, who is it that you love most?"

"Wally West," Dick answered again, hesitantly turning away from Babs.

"I love Wally West as well..." Cheshire answered, hanging his head, "But Wally only loves _him_!" he yelled, pointing to Dick, "Dick Grayson was supposed to have Wally West, and Robin was supposed to have Kid Flash...but Robin took them both. He left me no one...made it like I didn't even exist..."

Dick looked at him, surprised. "No. No, you're wrong. Wally loves Dick just as much as he loves Robin. They're the same person...they're both _me_."

"You can't be two people, Robin," Cheshire said, grief choking his voice, "I was Dick Grayson, and I had Bruce, and Alfred, and Roy, and Wally..._you_ were supposed to have Batman and Speedy and Kid Flash...there was a distinction. But you _stole_ everyone away! You took everyone who loved me for me, and kept them to yourself! You started hiding me. You became Robin 24/7, and left me to die."

"No, I never...Dick Grayson is fine. I'm both..."

"Is he fine? Tell me, you're friends with Superboy, Miss Martian, Aqualad...why haven't I met their counterparts? Why do _you_ get to spend time with Conner, M'gann, and Kaldur?"

Dick shifted uncomfortably, "Batman said-"

"And what about Artemis? I go to school with her...I _see_ her, and still! You keep us apart. When was the last time you actually spoke to Bruce? No masks."

"We played basketball-"

"Three months ago! You played basketball _three months ago_." Cheshire shook as tears came to his eyes. He started crying and the maggots scattered, trying to avoid the tears. "I'm alone, Robin. Soon, I won't even exist."

"I-"

"Enough!" the King yelled, slamming his fist again, "Wally West is no longer alive to testify, so we shall move on. Richard Grayson, have you any witnesses to testify?"

Dick stared brokenly at the King, his brain desperately trying to feed him the information he needed to stay alive. "I...Speedy." Speedy, who had always watched out for him. Speedy, his big brother, his friend. Speedy would always help him. "I call Speedy...Roy. Roy Harper."

"The accused has called the Roy Harper known as Speedy. Speedy, please rise and take the stand," the Queen ordered. No one moved.

"Speedy is dead, your honors," Cheshire said, grinning at Dick, his smile wide and lipless. "Roy Harper is Red Arrow now."

Dick looked away, shaking. If his own face was carved off...but then, wouldn't all carved faces look the same? There was no resemblance. Cheshire was lying. But still. He glanced up, cringing. His own face, without skin...

"I call Red Arrow then," Dick said, his voice cracking. From the audience, Roy stood, dressed in his uniform. He approached the stand.

"The Roy Harper known as Red Arrow," the King said, turning his gaze to the redhead, "Are you familiar with the name 'Richard Grayson?'"

"Yes, your honor," Roy said. Dick's heart lurched with hope. Of course Roy would save him. Roy always came through when he needed him.

"And is this boy," the King gestured to Dick, "Richard Grayson?"

Roy glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "I think so. I mean, I've only seen him on tv...in pants. But it looks like him."

Dick felt like each vein in his body had turned to ice.

"On tv? So, you're saying you've never actually met Richard Grayson?" the Queen questioned, leaning forward. Roy shook his head.

"No, your honor. I've never met him."

"Roy! Roy, come on!" Dick cried, digging his fingers into the wooden railing, "I'm one of your best friends! We've known each other for years! You know I'm Dick Grayson...it was always the three of us. You, me...Wally..."

But Roy only frowned. "My best friends are Wally and Robin. I don't know you."

"You swear to this?" the Queen asked. Roy nodded.

"Yes. I, Red Arrow, swear that I have never met Richard Grayson."

"You are dismissed," the King said, waving a hand. Without sparing Dick a glance, Roy returned to the audience.

Only half aware of himself, Dick turned to watch Roy walk away. Idly, he let his eyes roam over the audience members.

"M'gann?" he called weakly, spotting the green girl in the crowd. She was clothed now, and had normal legs.

She blinked widely at him, coloring. "Me? Oh, no, I'm sorry. We've never met."

Next to her was Conner. He scowled as their eyes met. "What are you looking at?"

"Kaldur?" he called, swiping his gaze across the rows until he landed on the Atlantean. His crab claw and shell were gone now.

Kaldur stood. "I will take the stand if you desire me to, your royal highnesses, but I can tell you now that I've never met this boy before."

"Kaldur, no. You're holding my place as leader, remember? Until I'm older? You look after me..."

Their eyes met, but Kaldur only shook his head. "I'm sorry. You're thinking of someone else. I know no Richard Grayson." That said, he sat back down.

Dick swallowed, nearly chocking on the dryness of his own throat. "Artemis," he said, scanning the crowd for her with no luck. He turned back around. "I call Artemis Crock to the stand."

A groan was heard and, slowly, Artemis elbowed her way to the front. As soon as she broke free of the crowd, she crossed her arms, scowling heavily at the royalty before her without taking the stand.

"Look here. I don't see why I should have to bother with any of this. This Dick or Richard or whatever," she pointed to him, "I've only met this kid once. Didn't say a word to him. He just ran up, took a picture of me, and ran off. It was stupid, it was annoying, I've never seen him since. This isn't my problem."

"Artemis, come on, listen to my voice. It's _me_. We're on a team together. Remember that time we were trapped in the mountain, just the two of us? The Red siblings had captured everyone...I told you to get traught, remember? Your hand was on my forehead, when I came to..."

Artemis sneered at him. "Like a little rich snob like _you_ could ever make our team. So don't try to involve me with this. I refuse to testify." That said, Artemis turned her back on him and pushed her way back into the crowd. As he slowly turned around to face the front, Dick caught sight of his hands. Realizing they were shaking, he grabbed the railing, keeping his head down.

"Would either of you like to call anyone else to the stand?" the Queen asked, glancing at each of them.

"No," Cheshire answered coldly, his gaze piercing into the side of Dick's head. Without lifting his gaze, Dick shook his head.

"Then we'll move on," the King said, "Each of you, tell the jury, what do you feel your purpose in life is?"

Dick was quiet at first, lifting his head to watch Cheshire, before he turned back to the front. "My purpose in life is to protect the innocent," he answered, trying to put strength into his voice. His friends weren't going to help him, but that was okay. He could help himself. Batman had trained him to do just that.

Cheshire kept him gaze on Dick. "I can't remember," he admitted quietly, "I had to give it up when I was a kid, so _he _could pursue _his _dream." Dick refused to look at him.

"Each of you, tell the jury the name of your father," the Queen ordered.

"Bruce Wayne," Dick answered confidently. Seconds later, his heart plummeted into his stomach as Cheshire opened his mouth and answered, "John Grayson."

Dick felt like getting sick again. How could he forget about his father? Sure, Bruce was...Bruce was everything, but _Dad_. His dad was...and he just discarded him like that...

Slowly, the King and Queen stood. Together, they removed their masks to reveal the faces of John and Mary Grayson.

Both boys started, pressing themselves to the front of their respective boxes.

"Dad! Mom!" Dick yelled, trying his best not to start crying again and failing miserably. There they were, just as he remembered them. He hadn't seen their faces for five years...he had started to forget what they looked like...

John glanced at him. "I could tell in an instant that you weren't my son. Have his face removed."

Instantly, several Alfreds were reaching into the box, holding him still.

"What? Dad, no! Mom! Mom, it's me, Dick! Your son!"

Mary glanced down at Ra's and inclined her head toward Dick. "Go ahead. He's not our son."

Dick thrashed wildly as Ra's approached, bearing his scythe. Abandoning his training, Dick screamed for his mother as the blade sunk into his skin, slowly carving off his face. Once done, Ra's peeled the skin away and, released by the Alfreds, Dick sunk to his knees, drenching himself in Wally's still wet blood. Immediately, and against his better instincts, his hands clawed at his face, trying to access the damage.

Shakily, he stood, still rubbing the pads of his fingers across his face and feeling the smooth skin there. His face was fine. But Ra's had just _cut _it off...

He turned around just as he noticed a seam against his skin. The audience gasped and a whir of murmurs sounded through the room. Dick followed the seam with his finger, outlining his eyes.

"My mask...?"

He looked to the side and saw Ra's handing Cheshire his skinned face. The other boy put it on, muttering a small thank you, and suddenly Dick found himself gazing at his doppelganger.

Frantic, he picked at the edge of his mask, trying to peel it off, but the material wouldn't budge. There was a sharp pain along the edge and, when he brought back his hand, there was blood on his fingertip. The mask wouldn't come off.

"Robin."

He looked up and saw the Jack of Hearts stand. He removed his mask and Dick had to restrain himself from climbing out of the box and running to him, he was so relieved. "Bruce! Bruce, help me, please. I don't understand what's happening. Bruce!"

Bruce glanced down at him. "For the last time. Are you Dick Grayson?"

Dick nodded. "Yes."

"Are you Robin?"

Choking back a sob, Dick nodded again. "Yes."

"You can't be both, Robin," Cheshire sneered, earning a murmur of agreement from the crowd.

"Who are you, then?" Bruce asked.

"I don't...I don't know," he answered softly, "Does it matter? Bruce?"

Bruce stared at him, staying silent for a long time. Finally, he looked away and quietly said, "Off with his head."

And just like that, what was left of Dick's world shattered. "Bruce?" The Alfreds that had held him while his face had been skinned grabbed him again and Ra's lifted his scythe. Dick swung his lower body up and kicked the older man in the neck, sending him sprawling. His feet hit the railing and he ripped free from the hands holding him, elbowing an Alfred in the face. Once completely free, he balanced on the railing in a crouch. "Bruce!"

But Bruce had backed away, towards his throne. Beside him, Mary and John were also retreating. Their forms started to blue and Dick blinked, rubbing at his eyes. He stood up, balancing precariously on the thin rail. "Mom? Dad? Bruce?" Their forms were melding into one and, desperate, he leapt toward their podium. Right before his eyes, the stand disappeared and he found himself stumbling onto the ground.

"You'll never be enough, Robin," Cheshire said, free from his own box and walking toward him, leering at him with his own face.

"_Robin?"_

"Don't think for an instant that Wally could ever love us both. Dick and Robin are _two_ different people."

"_Rob...?"_

"You're wrong," Dick said, stepping forward.

"_Dick? Babe, please..."_

"Am I? You don't even know who you are. How is anyone possibly supposed to love a mess like you?"

"_Please, wake up..."_

Cheshire's face was starting to distort too. Dick looked to the side, but the audience was a blur. Cheshire was the only remaining solid thing in the room with him and, angrily, he lunged forward to grab the other boy. He stumbled slightly as his body passed through the other, whirling around to gaze at him incredulously.

"Cheshire!"

But Cheshire was fading too. The room started to stretch, lengthening the space between the two boys.

The world around him swirled into color, but he could still make out the door. Realizing his means of escape could be disappearing, he turned his back on Cheshire and ran. The aisle stretched beneath him, getting longer and longer as he ran.

"You're alone, Robin! You always will be! So go ahead and run!" Cheshire called after him, laughing. His voice distorted, warping until it was completely unrecognizable.

Finally, Dick reached the door and wrenched it open. A blinding white light faced him, but it was too late to stop. Momentum pitched him forward, and he toppled head first into the white abyss.

* * *

Dick groaned, blinking his eyes open wearily. The first thing he saw was a smear of orange, tan, and green, which slowly came together to form Wally's face. He was grinning widely.

"March...?"

"Rob! You're awake!" the other cried, throwing his arms around his neck. Dick hissed and Wally immediately pulled away.

"Dick! I'm so sorry! I totally forgot, dude! I was just...I got really excited..."

Groaning again, Dick tried to sit up and Wally immediately reached to help him. "Wally?"

His boyfriend smiled. "The one and only, babe."

Wordlessly, Dick pulled Wally forward, forcing him into a hug. The movement brought a sharp pain to his shoulder, but he ignored it. He'd dealt with worse. Confused, Wally returned the gesture.

"Dick? You okay?" Wally brought a hand up and starting combing it through the other's hair. "You had me worried for a while, you know? I know you're sturdy and all, but still. You know I hate it when you get shot," he said, chuckling lightly.

Dick held onto him, pressing his nose into the crook of his neck. "So I was shot..."

Wally paused in his ministrations, pulling back slightly. Dick held on tighter, refusing to relinquish his hold. "You don't remember?" he asked, giving in and letting Dick have his hug. He started petting his hair again.

Against him, Dick shook him head. "No. My shoulder hurts though." He paused, thinking over the situation. "Is Artemis okay?"

Wally nodded. "Yeah, she's fine. Hostages too. Everyone's fine. Mad Hatter was still in the maze, and he managed to get the jump on you after we separated. Lucky for me, you're a quick thing, so he only got your shoulder," he said, pressing a kiss to Dick's temple. "Supey and I came running as soon as we heard the shot. Miss M wasn't able to maintain our link, so it took us a while to find you. Mad Hatter had knocked you out somehow, after he shot you. Bats guessed it was some sort of spray, cause he found these weird chemical particles on your face. He had you treated, but you've been asleep for almost two days, running a fever. Everyone's been really worried...I've been really worried."

"How's Roy?" Dick asked, breathing in Wally's scent, "And Batman? Did he fix the cave?"

"Roy? Dick," Wally struggled to remove Dick from him, but he managed and held the boy in front of him, so he could make eye contact, "Roy wasn't with us. And the cave's fine, as far as I know. Batman too. Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you should lie back down..."

"What? No, I meant..." he shook his head, "I'm sorry, Wally. I just...had a weird dream..."

Wally smiled sympathetically. "Wanna talk about it?"

"No," Dick whispered, grabbing Wally's shirt and burying his face in his chest.

Wally started, surprised, and quickly wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, rubbing circles on his back. "Rob? Hey, come on. What's wrong? Are you...are you crying?"

Dick shook his head desperately trying to choke back a sob. He reached his hand up, still keeping close to Wally, and started pulling at his mask, ripping it off.

"Hey, dude, you might not want to...I mean, you're at the mountain. The others could walk in..." Wally said, glancing toward the door. Dick shook his head, dropping the mask on the bed.

"I don't care."

Wally was at a loss. He'd never had to deal with Dick like this before. "Babe. Babe, come on, tell me what's wrong. I wanna help."

Dick kept his head down, not wanting to be seen crying or even close to tears. "Wally...what do you think your purpose in life is?"

Wally's hands stopped, but he still held onto him. "Dude, that's kind of a deep question. Uh, my purpose in life...Well...I guess it would be to help people. That and make sure you're happy, of course," he said, pulling Dick slightly away so he could lift his chin and look at his eyes. He frowned upon seeing the tears glistening there. "Right now though, I don't think I'm doing such a good job..."

Dick smiled slightly and leaned up to kiss him briefly. "No, you are. A perfect job, actually. In my dream...something really bad happened to you."

Wally smiled fondly. "Dude, is that why you're so upset? Dick, nothing's going to happen to me! Especially with you watching my back," he paused to kiss the other's forehead, "We're a team. We'll tackle life together..."

Dick nodded. "I know. It's just...you know, when I was a kid, I thought my purpose in life was to try to become the greatest acrobat in the world. I wanted to be a famous circus performer, and make my parents and everyone at the circus proud."

Confused with the sudden change in topic, Wally just nodded, waiting for Dick to continue.

"When Bruce adopted me, everything changed. And I was okay with that, but...I'm starting to worry, Wally..."

"Worry about what?"

Dick lowered his gaze and idly fiddled with the front of Wally's shirt. "Everyone else seems to have such a clear distinction between their secret identities and their hero identities...but I feel like the line separating mine is blurring. Dick Grayson...he's hardly even me anymore. It's like my real face has become a mask. Of my friends, you're the only one who knows both sides of who I am...that's weird, right?"

Wally frowned, cupping Dick's cheek. "Dick, that's not your fault. Bats won't let you tell anyone. I mean, he'd freak if he found out you told me...and I'm your boyfriend!"

Dick leaned against his hand. "He'd freak if he found out you're my boyfriend too..."

"Don't remind me," he said, groaning, "But look, do you really think it matters? I mean, you're still you, mask or no mask."

Dick put a hand against Wally's, holding it to his face. "Maybe. Are you the same though? I mean, does Wally West love Dick Grayson as much as Kid Flash does? Or does Kid Flash only love Robin? Who are we? How is this supposed to work?"

Wally raised an eyebrow. "Rob...are you having an identity crisis?"

Dick pouted at him, releasing his hand and pulling away.

Wally laughed and kissed his nose to apologize. "Sorry dude, it's just, why can't you just be you? And me be me? I mean, I'm Wally West _and_ Kid Flash. There's nothing wrong with that. No matter which name I'm going by, I'm still me. And you're still you. And me," he pointed to himself, "loves you," he said, poking Dick's chest. Dick smiled.

"Me, huh...? Is it really that simple?"

Wally grabbed Dick's hand and laced their fingers together. "Course it is. Love and junk like that is supposed to be simple. So just go with the flow."

"Maybe..." Dick said, humming thoughtfully. Wally rolled his eyes.

"Dick, I know exactly who you are, even if you don't. So, if you ever feel lost or anything, like you can't find yourself, that's cool," he grinned, "cause I'll find you. Look, if it'll help, we can start doing more stuff as our secret identities. Come out as a couple and all. I could pick you up from school! And all your classmates would be like, 'Woah dude, who's that super sexy redhead picking up Grayson?'" he said, lowering his voice, then raising it an octave as he added, "'I don't know, but man, he sure is fiiiiine.'"

Dick laughed and pushed Wally playfully. "You're such a dork. You do realize coming out as a couple would mean Bats finding out, don't you?"

The large grin plastered on Wally's face faded as he grew serious. "Yeah. Yeah, I realize. I'm okay with that though, if you are."

Dick thought about it. It would be...nice, being boyfriends with Wally in public. Sure, they'd probably end up on the cover of a few tabloids. Bruce Wayne's ward being gay was bound to be news on some level, but they could handle that, surely.

"The team will probably figure it out. News will get out you're dating Dick Grayson..."

Wally grimaced. "True. Well, let's talk to Bats about it, at least. No harm in that, right?"

Dick snorted. "Tell Bats we're dating? There's no harm for me, sure, but you..."

Wally lightly punched his good shoulder. "Gee, thanks for the confidence boost. I really needed that," he drawled sarcastically. Dick grinned.

"But of course. It's what I'm here for," he replied cheekily, "I have an idea though. Instead of telling Bats...how about we tell Bruce instead?"

Wally stared at him for a moment before slowly smiling. "Bruce does sound a little less scary, huh? That sounds like a good plan, boy wonder."

And Dick really thought it was. He was so absorbed in work...he barely ever spoke to Bruce, father to son. It was always Bat to Robin. Spending some maskless time with Bruce...coming out to Dick Grayson's world as Wally's boyfriend...it all sounded kind of nice.

Cheshire would be happy, in any case.

Right...?

* * *

**Thanks for reading, everyone! I'm happy that you all stuck with me through this. While this is set in a different universe as Sleeping Beauty, I really wanted to make this as sort of a mirroring piece. Those of you who read Sleeping Beauty got to see my version of Wally's subconscious. And now, with Down the Rabbit Hole, we have Dick's subconscious. They're very different boys, aren't they? (of course, there's the ever constant theme of their LOOOOVE!)  
I really hope you all review, and tell me what you thought! How many managed to guess who Cheshire was beforehand? How about the King, Queen, and Jack? Speak your mind to me, my loves! =P**


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